Alcohol

The subject of alcohol is quite a controversial one, especially in religious matters. While some believe you are going straight to hell for its consumption, others say hell won’t freeze over if you take a little portion while some others think you can take as much as you want as long as you don’t walk on your head or profess that London is the capital of Nigeria.

Let’s examine alcohol outside the context of Sin and talk about its effects, briefly.

According to Wikipedia, Alcohol is a depressant which in low doses causes euphoria, reduced anxiety, and sociability and in higher doses causes intoxication (drunkenness), stupor and unconsciousness. For a drink to be termed alcoholic, it must have at least 3% alcohol by Volume (ABV). There are three broad classifications of alcoholic drinks. We have beers, Wines and Spirits. The typical range is from 3% to 40% ABV. There are further classifications though. Cider, Mead, Sake, etc are examples.

Beer is a type of alcoholic beverage obtained from the fermentation of grains, specifically Barley. It contains other ingredients but it derives it characteristically bitter flavour from Hops, a medicinal herb with quite some benefits and flavour. According to studies, Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage in the World. Distilled and unsweetened alcoholic drinks with at least 20% ABV are referred to as Spirits. Whiskey and Vodka, the common ones possess about 40% ABV.

Going by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), alcoholic drinks are termed as a Group 1 carcinogen. Still wondering why Cancer is on the rise? Breast, Larynx, Liver, Oesophagus, Colorectal, pancreatic, Oral Cavity Cancers have been linked to the consumption of alcohol. One thing you might not know is that alcohol in carbonated drinks is absorbed faster than alcohol in non-carbonated drinks and mixing the two can intoxicate faster.

There are long and short term effects of alcohol consumption and the different concentrations of alcohol in the human body have different effects on a person. These effects are determined by the amount of consumed alcohol, ABV, Body size, blood volume, gender, food eaten, drugs taken, timespan of consumption and many other factors.

Blood Alcohol Concentration is expressed as the weight of alcohol, in grams, in 100 millilitres of blood, or 210 litres of breath. BAC can be measured by breath, blood, or urine tests. Drinking enough to cause a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.03%-0.12% typically causes an overall improvement in mood and possible euphoria, increased self-confidence and sociability, decreased anxiety, and fine muscle coordination. A BAC of 0.09% to 0.25% causes lethargy, sedation, balance problems and blurred vision. A BAC from 0.18% to 0.30% causes profound confusion, impaired speech (e.g., slurred speech), staggering, dizziness and vomiting. A BAC from 0.25% to 0.40% causes stupor, unconsciousness, anterograde amnesia, vomiting (death may occur due to inhalation of vomit (pulmonary aspiration) while unconscious) and respiratory depression (potentially life-threatening). A BAC from 0.35% to 0.80% causes a coma (unconsciousness), life-threatening respiratory depression and possibly fatal alcohol poisoning. Owing to this, there are laws in different countries to put alcohol consumption in check especially when driving or flying, as the case may be.

Drinking small quantities of alcohol (less than one drink in women and two in men per day) is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, and early death. Drinking more than this amount, however, increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, and stroke.

Some folks advocate the consumption of wine and misquote a part of the Bible to justify the action. But I tell you, no professional medical association recommends that people who are non-drinkers should start drinking wine.

As touching the long term effects, alcohol, when consumed with Tobacco acts as a solvent which gives room for the entrance of harmful chemicals and carcinogens into the cells of the body, particularly, the cells lining the digestive tracts.

Alcohol also slows these cells' healing ability to repair the damage to their DNA caused by the harmful chemicals in tobacco, through this, cancerous growth might be favoured.

Alcoholic drinks contain food energy alongside Carbohydrates, especially in Beers. Excessive daily calorie intake of this contributes to an increase in body weight and gives rise to Visceral Obesity or “one pack”

Because of the differing levels of hormones and enzymes in the body, women tend to get higher BAC than men on consuming alcohol. In lay terms, women get “high” faster than men. For people of the same weight, even the same gender, individuals with a lower percentage of body fat will have lower BAC than those with a higher percentage of body fat.

Because alcohol is regarded as a drug, there exists a somewhat drug-drug interaction when an over-the-counter drug is taken with alcohol and could come with its adverse effects. And since the liver is responsible for metabolizing these, excessive consumption could result in a disease over time.

Value your health. Be Wise

References

Wikipedia

Rev. James E. McDonald, C.S.C., Centre for Student Well-Being University of Notre Dame

About the Author

Oluwaseun R. Olusegun is a Clinical Nutrionist with a knack for knowledge. She is a Social Entrepreneur, a Public Health and Behavioural Change Advocate. By the side, she is a content creator and compere. She is currently the performance Management Specialist for Nirmala Chellarams Centre for Entrepreneurship Skills. She can be reached via olusegunseun20@gmail.com

Taking Charge of Your Life

Very often we look for someone to blame or some reason to see why it never was our fault. We are always in search for an excuse why a situation failed and how impossible it was for us to have changed the circumstances around us. In every instance, it never was our fault- someone else just had to be blamed. In doing this, we cause a shift of balance in our lives; we unconsciously lose control over our lives and ability to handle responsibilities and changes around us.

How easy it is to say “it’s not my fault”. So easy it is to shift the blame to some other person. “There is no way I could have changed that”, “he is the reason why we could not get to our target”, “if not for traffic or the bad driver…”-these are all excuses we make to mask up our failed responsibilities. When we fail to take charge of our lives and own up to responsibilities, we subconsciously lose hold of our lives and every time we fail to own up to a circumstance in our lives, the easier it is to lose control of our lives. Every time we make excuses and fail to take charge of our lives, the easier it becomes to fall prey to making more excuses next time.

Instead of finding something or someone to blame, take your time to find a solution to that problem. Yes, it is alright to expect your parents to send you to school or your government to provide a job for you but when they fail to, it is not right to blame them. It is wrong to accuse them of putting you at a standstill or making your life what it is. They sure may have failed you and cut your expectations short but there are in no way responsible for the way your life turn out to be. So, it is only wrong to expect the outcome of your life to be the input of other people; your life is simply the input you have in it and how much you take control of everything around you. 

Rather than taking a great deal of time to make up excuses, why not invest that time constructively into finding ways your life can be better; for a time lost wailing over failed expectations can never be recovered. Instead of depending on what people have to offer you and how much your life could have been better in a different family, religion or country, why not work intensively on developing that which you have. Take that decision today to be a better version of yourself and take charge of everything life throws at you. Be willing to be responsible for everything that happens to you. Only when you do this can you consciously and subconsciously build the mindset to be a man in charge of your life. 

About the Author

Ettoh Oghenekefe is a content creator. He writes articles, stories and develops ideas/content for start-up firms. He enjoys best translating words and ideas into enjoyable stories.

 

A Way Out

Are you tired of life? Are you feeling depressed and angry over what every new day has to offer? Do you feel disappointed and feel there’s no other option for you to take? No job, no prospective life partner or shelter to lay your head. “After all my parents have done for me, I don’t have the means to repay them for their loving kindness”. Should I take a short-cut to success or just try the ‘other way out’? If you bear such feelings or carry such burdens in your heart, I am here today to tell you that there is a way.

Life is not fair as most would love to read it. While some are born rich with silver spoon, some others are born without a penny. One man is rich, has a lovely family but has a failing heart and has only three months left to live; yet, another man complains every day, even in good health, for what to eat and how he can provide for his suffering family. Instead of feeling depressed and losing all hope in life, always believe here is something about your life to be thankful of. Always see how much there is more to who you can be and achieve.

A man is only dead when he sees all doors and roads blocked; when he fails to see possibilities and chances in his life. So long the mind believes a change can occur at any time, anything is possible. Until a man sees possibilities in every circumstance, he will forever remain at a standstill. Times may be trying and things may be extremely difficult, but your will to things happening for you is that required to keep you going. Never kill your hope and say things are dead- nothing can happen for me again. Remember, it can never be too late for a solution to come to you. You can never be too old to have a turn-around in your life.

There is always a way out. The way out is you. Even when the tunnel might seem dark, always try to thrive to see to the end of the tunnel- where there shall be light to show you all you have ever desired. Even when you feel you are drowning and there is no one to save you, no one watching or willing to help you, always put on the ‘positive jersey’ that help is coming; for there is nothing impossible to a heart that believes and is expectant. When people may laugh at you and your present circumstance, when friends shall turn foe, it is only right for you to believe in yourself and see how things can turn out to be positive for you. Decide never to give up and see a way I everything you do.

About the Author

Ettoh Oghenekefe is a content creator. He writes articles, stories and develops ideas/content for start-up firms. He enjoys best translating words and ideas into enjoyable stories.