Almost no vacation is complete without alcohol. But everything should be done in moderation; a small portion of alcoholic drinks will be beneficial and cheer up. Some types of alcohol are safer than others. The main thing is that they do not contain methyl alcohol, as this has disastrous consequences.
Classification of the dangers of alcohol
Any food that contains at least 1. 5% ethyl alcohol is alcoholic. Ethanol drinks are systematized according to C₂H₅OH content, type of raw materials used, type of production and aging criteria.
Due to the presence of alcohol:
- low content – beer, wine;
- high – vodka, sugarcane rum, gin, grain whiskey, grape brandy and more.
All drinks are made from different raw materials.
The first can be divided into the following
- grape-based – cognac, wine, Italian grappa;
- Grains – whiskey, beer groups, vodka;
- Fruits and berries – apple calvados, liqueur, liqueur;
- Herbs - balm, rum, Mexican tequila, absinthe.
Each alcoholic beverage product has its own ethanol content.
The occurrence of the latter can be classified as follows:
- high – from 67 to 96% of the container volume;
- normal – from 31 to 66;
- Average – from 9 to 30;
- low – from 1. 5 to 9.
The last line includes everyone's favorite beer, national products with low alcohol content, kvass, palm toddy and shandy.
Drinks with an average ethanol content include wine, mulled wine, punch and mead.
At the top tier are vodka, Armagnac, tequila, rum, absinthe and other intoxicating liquids. Ethyl alcohol consumption comes first. The alcohol content reaches 95%.
It is believed that the main harm to health is caused by the degree of the drink. However, consumption of weak alcohol-containing products can cause no less harm than strong ones.
Properties of less harmful alcohol
Opinions about intoxicating liquids vary widely. Some nutritionists claim that drinking beverages is beneficial, while others say that it is harmful to health.
The criteria for the least harmful alcohol are as follows:
- The degree of its quality.
- Amount of ethanol.
- Flavor additives.
- Perfomance.
According to medical experts, vodka is considered less harmful to health. Of course, this condition is met with minimal use.
This conclusion is due to the following factors:
- low calorie content;
- Absence of a harmful carbonyl group;
- the simplicity of an alcoholic liquid – water with alcohol.
Eating a high-quality product almost never causes a hangover. However, this does not mean that you can drink vodka without moderation. To prevent poisoning, the snack should consist of fatty foods.
However, experts call real grape wines the least safe alcohol for the liver. The fruits of the bush do not contain any harmful residues. If you do not separate the peels from the berries, you will get a red variety of wine, which is considered the healthiest.
This is due to the fact that the vitamins contained in the peel pass into the liquid alcoholic environment and saturate the body with microelements and organic nitrogen compounds.
Antioxidants improve the functioning of the circulatory system and rejuvenate cells. An extract is successfully obtained from wine, which is used to prepare injections and various cosmetics.
Negative effects on the human body
The negative effects of alcoholic beverages are manifested as follows:
Organs exposed to alcohol and diseases that may occur under the influence of alcoholic beverages
- Poisoning disrupts the flow of oxygen to the brain and causes brain cells to die. Encephalopathy develops and the changes are irreversible.
- The cardiovascular system is affected. Pathologies develop: ischemia and hypertension, cardiomyopathy. In some people, alcohol addiction causes the heart to enlarge.
- The respiratory rate increases, tuberculosis and chronic bronchitis occur.
- The functions of the digestive system are disrupted as the mucous membrane takes over the effects of the poison. Patients are diagnosed with gastritis and stomach ulcer. Alcohol destroys the liver, causing cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatosis.
- Disturbances in the excretory function occur. Alcohol is harmful to the kidneys because their epithelium is destroyed under the influence of alcohol.
- The endocrine glands are affected. Almost half of people suffering from alcoholism have reduced sexual function. Against this background, neuroses, depression and other disorders of the central nervous system arise. In women, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, menopause occurs prematurely, and gestosis and miscarriages are possible during pregnancy.
- The skin and muscle tissue becomes depleted and various dermatological diseases appear.
- Hematopoietic processes are disrupted, the production of lymphocytes decreases, and allergic reactions occur.
- Psychological abnormalities occur: cramps, hallucinations, partial loss of feeling in the limbs.
The most severe form of poisoning is delirium tremens.Even timely treatment may not bring results. The patient can no longer orient himself in time and space, his pulse quickens, his blood pressure rises and in some cases his temperature also rises.
Regular alcohol consumption reduces life expectancy, leads to premature aging and disability.
Does the harm depend on the alcohol content?
The alcohol content determines the time of alcohol removal from the body. The lower this indicator is, the less harm the drink will cause to a person.
For this reason, products with a high ethanol content are considered the most dangerous.
How to choose the least harmful alcohol
The choice of the least dangerous alcoholic drink should be based on criteria that determine the level of harmful effects on the human body. These criteria include:
- Quality (manufacturer, compliance with established safety requirements, filling, transport and storage conditions);
- Starch (the amount of ethyl alcohol in the composition);
- Availability of flavoring additives and their range;
- the rate of absorption of alcohol into the blood.
A properly selected alcoholic drink causes minimal harm to the body and prevents the development of serious illnesses and hangover syndrome.
How harmful are inferior raw materials?
The main toxic effect on the human body is acetaldehyde (a breakdown product of ethyl alcohol). This substance is contained in all alcoholic drinks and is harmful to health.Expensive products made from higher quality raw materials are considered to be the least harmful.The low cost is due to the insufficient purification of the composition of fusel oils.
Even homemade wines and moonshine made from purified water and quality products are more harmful than store-bought counterparts. Without the necessary equipment and technology, it is impossible to properly clean raw materials. When choosing alcohol, you should give preference to drinks that do not contain synthetic ingredients.
What is the difference between expensive and cheap alcohol?
There is an opinion that the harm of alcohol is the same regardless of the quality and price of the drink. However, there is a difference between cheap, low-quality alcohol and an expensive "elite" product.
A low price indicates that cheap, low-quality raw materials were used in its production. This affects the composition of the alcoholic drink and also exacerbates the consequences of its consumption.
Manufacturers that adhere to safety standards and value the quality of the end product use more expensive raw materials and complex cleaning processes. This will certainly impact the price towards its rise.
world of spirits
To find out which alcoholic drink is the most harmless, you should find out about the types of alcohol. The most common gradation is the classification of alcohol by strength:
| classification | Scroll |
strong alcohol |
Brandy, whiskey, ethyl alcohol (medicinal), sambuca, rum, vodka, absinthe, tequila, gin, cognac |
| medium strength drinks | Vermouth, wines of all kinds, liqueurs, cider, martini, punch, grog |
| low alcohol content (and carbon dioxide) | Ale, beer products, sparkling wines and champagne |
Many normal people talk about alcohol being harmful because of the extent of it. And they believe that the weaker the alcohol, the safer it is.Based on these considerations, we can say that beer or champagne is the most harmless alcohol. This is a big mistake.
The harmfulness of alcohol does not depend on its degree. Even weak alcoholic drinks can provoke the development of alcoholism in a person.
A few years ago, Canadian scientists conducted a series of experiments that showed that most people do not suffer from heavy drinking. In the vast majority of cases, alcohol addiction was caused by light alcohol, drunk in large quantities and constantly. This led to rapid addiction and subsequent health problems.
Alcohol is harmful to all internal systems and organs
So what is the safest alcohol? Where to look for alcohol that you can drink calmly, regardless of impending health problems? We can say right away: there is no absolutely safe alcohol; Any drink containing ethyl alcohol is classified as dangerous and destructive from the start. But there is a list compiled by scientists that lists alcoholic drinks in order of harm. Check out this review.
1st place: alcoholic energy drinks
In the spring of 2017, the world became acquainted with the data from a long-term study organized and conducted by Canadian scientists. According to their research, the greatest danger to humans comes from a mixture of ethanol with various energy drinks or canned alcoholic energy cocktails. In addition to the well-known harm of alcohol, these drinks bring their fans the following:
- Attacks of aggressive behavior.
- Suicide attempts, most of which are successful.
- Increased injury rate. Fans of alcoholic energy cocktails were more likely to be involved in traffic accidents than fans of "pure" alcohol.
Alcoholic energy drinks are considered the most harmful drinks to health.
Scientists have found an explanation for this. Caffeine, which is inevitably included in the composition of such alcohol, has a relaxing effect on the body and suppresses the sedative effect of ethanol. As a result, a drunk person not only does not understand the fact of poisoning itself, but also does not give an account of his own actions, considering them quite sufficient.
Constant consumption of alcoholic energy drinks is accompanied by dizziness, weakness, loss of consciousness and memory problems. Sometimes a person who has committed a crime due to intoxication with this product, after sobering up, cannot remember what he did and where he was. Alcoholic energy drinks rightly occupy an honorable first place in the ranking of the most dangerous alcoholic products.
2nd place: alcoholic cocktails
There is a huge army of fans of various delicious cocktails prepared with alcohol. They drink them regularly at parties, in cafes and clubs. It is very difficult to convince them of the dangers of such a hobby. Can light and so aromatic cocktails be harmful? However, in fact, they occupy second place in the ranking of the most dangerous alcohols.
The harm of alcoholic cocktails lies in their composition
The point lies in their composition. In addition to alcohol, the ingredients also include carbonated drinks, sweetened water, liqueurs, syrups and juices. When these components are mixed together, a dangerous mixture is created that:
- immediately absorbed into the blood;
- provokes severe intoxication;
- increase the concentration of sugar in the body;
- leads to a severe hangover;
- significantly increase the load on almost all internal organs.
All body systems begin to work in emergency mode: the liver neutralizes ethanol and at the same time actively absorbs glucose. The kidneys try to quickly remove toxic toxins from the body and the work of the pancreas is activated. And the heart increases its rhythm, trying to ensure normal blood circulation in the actively working organs.
Even a small glass of alcoholic cocktails puts a triple strain on the body. The more such drinks a person drinks, the more his hangover syndrome will manifest itself.
3rd place: Champagne and sparkling wines
High-quality champagne is made with careful adherence to the technological process and will hardly harm the body if you drink it in the amount of one glass. But passion for this drink will turn it into a terrible monster. The explanation is as follows:
- Fine champagne contains a lot of sugar. It has an extremely negative effect on the function and condition of the liver and pancreas.
- In the gastrointestinal tract, this drink leads to the development of rapid decay processes, in which residues of undigested food take part. Champagne owes such processes to the carbon dioxide it contains.
Good champagne doesn't do any harm as long as you don't drink more than one glass.
Large amounts of this pleasant and light alcohol can cause serious poisoning in people. Sparkling wines work the same way. A mixture of ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide can knock down even a strong and tall man in a short time.
4th place: beer
An extremely popular drink enjoyed by both men and women alike.However, now this fragrant foam is very dangerous due to rapid addiction and the development of beer alcoholism. Dangerously frothy and with a large dose of phytoestrogens, which hop cones are rich in.
Phytoestrogens contained in beer are plant analogues of female sex hormones. These compounds are extremely dangerous for both sexes. They contribute to serious disruptions in the hormonal system.
Unfortunately, narcologists now diagnose beer alcoholism much more often than addiction caused by strong drinks. Unfortunately, people are unaware of the dangers of beer and become addicted to it in their teens, ruining their own health. Getting rid of beer alcoholism is much more difficult than other types of addiction.
Regular consumption of beer leads to the rapid development of beer alcoholism
Long-term and constant dependence on intoxicating drinks leads to the following disorders:
- "Live" beer is considered the "cleanest", has a high calorie content and quickly causes obesity;
- inhibits the production of natural sex hormones, which negatively affects the functioning of the reproductive system;
- provokes global changes in the thickness and structure of the myocardium (heart muscle), which provokes the development of numerous heart diseases.
In addition, the harmful effect does not depend on the brand or brand of beer. This drink is dangerous in any case, regardless of the variety and method of production. There is no safe beer in nature.
5th place: Cognac
According to scientists, the most harmless is the purest alcoholic drink, that is, without unnecessary additives. The body can more easily cope with alcohol that lacks other components because less effort is spent on neutralizing the aggressive components. Cognac is the least harmful alcohol. In addition, it can also bring some advantages:
- Stabilizes high blood pressure;
- Stops the pathogenic activity of viruses.
Cognac has the ability to stabilize blood pressure, but only when consumed moderately and infrequently
But a good cognac can be distinguished by such talents, provided that it is consumed minimally and rarely. It is believed that the safe dose of this strong alcohol does not exceed 50 g.
6th place: Liqueurs
This alcohol is much safer than a number of low alcohol content alcohols. Liqueurs do not contain carbon dioxide and are traditionally consumed in small doses.Their only and significant disadvantage is the high sugar content.. For this reason, aromatic and tasty liqueurs should not be consumed by diabetics who are prone to rapid weight gain.
The disadvantages of liqueurs include the large proportion of sugar in the composition.
7th place: wines
If red and rosé wines are consumed in moderation and competently, they can even be considered medicinal. However, such a statement applies only in relation to natural wine alcohol, which is produced by fermenting grapes. Red wine can cause allergic attacks in some people who are prone to allergic symptoms.
Women are recommended to drink good red wine (in strictly limited quantities), as this alcohol is rich in antioxidants that prevent the aging of the body.
Wine can only be beneficial if consumed wisely
When asked which alcohol is less harmful to the liver, doctors choose good, natural wine. Grape juice is completely fermented. If the seeds and shell residues remain in it, red wine is created, which forms the basis for winemaking.
These wines have the least harmful effect on the liver. They are also the most beneficial for the body, as all the valuable substances from the peel and fruit seeds are transferred into the wine composition.
8th place: vodka
According to the unanimous opinion of doctors, vodka, our legendary drink, already considered a national treasure, is the safest.But it is also insidious, because one can only speak of benefits if the quality of the alcohol is high and its consumption is minimal..
Vodka is considered the safest of all types of alcohol, however, its regular consumption leads to the development of alcoholism
Doctors, speaking about the safety of vodka, explain their words by the following properties of this strong alcohol:
- minimal amount of calories;
- complete lack of carbohydrates;
- Due to the purity of the ingredients, vodka is made from a mixture of water and alcohol.
By the way, high-quality vodka almost never leads to a severe hangover. However, this does not mean that you can drink it without a snack. Good and fatty food is an indispensable complement to this alcohol.
Consequences of consuming alcoholic beverages
The consequences of consuming alcoholic beverages are divided into short-term, which appear within a few hours after drinking, and long-term, which become noticeable after a long period of systematic libations.
The main short-term consequence is a state of intoxication, which is accompanied by changes in metabolic processes, dysfunction of the brain, vestibular apparatus and stress on all body systems.
Symptoms of alcohol poisoning vary depending on the concentration of ethanol in the blood, including:
- Confusion of language and consciousness;
- decreased hearing and vision, hallucinations;
- Adhesion of red blood cells and thereby anemia;
- Sleepiness;
- vomiting, diarrhea, nausea;
- headache, tinnitus;
- Difficulties with natural physiological processes (breathing, urination, etc. );
- memory loss;
- Attacks of aggression, euphoria, sudden mood swings.
When drunk, people are more likely to sustain domestic injuries, get into traffic accidents, and become involved in sexual violence or other forms of physical aggression.
In the long term, people who systematically drink alcoholic beverages develop a stable addiction. This negatively affects both human health and the social and living conditions of his life.
Alcoholics struggle with a variety of physiological problems, but most commonly:
- Pathologies of internal organs, chronic intoxication of the body;
- spinal cord injuries, atrophic heart disease, strokes;
- cancer of the throat, stomach, liver and colon;
- hormonal disorders;
- erectile dysfunction, infertility, early menopause, etc. ;
- Deficiency of B vitamins, calcium and zinc.
These problems are a consequence of the behavioral characteristics of an alcohol-dependent person who tends to lead an antisocial lifestyle.
Social problems like:
- crisis in relationships with family, friends, colleagues;
- difficulty finding work and employment;
- tendency to violence, aggressive behavior;
- the development of psychological pathologies, including severe psychoses, personality disorders and manic states.
Impact speed
Depending on the speed of action, all alcoholic drinks can be divided into two types:
| "Fast" | These include strong alcohols (400 and above) such as vodka, tequila, absinthe, etc. |
| "Slow" | Low alcohol cocktails, champagne, beer and wines work slowly. |
Although poisoning from vodka occurs faster than from beer, the harm to health can be the same. Those who prefer low-alcohol drinks often don't know how much they drink.
He cannot stop in time while the amount of ethanol in the body already exceeds the safe limit. The consequence of such irrational behavior is severe intoxication and a severe hangover.
The consumption of any alcohol should be accompanied by a hearty snack - this significantly reduces the rate of absorption of alcohol into the blood and also protects the gastrointestinal tract from the harmful effects of alcohol.
Diploma
Ethyl alcohol in any alcoholic drink is toxic. However, the liver is able to process small amounts of ethanol, thereby completely removing it from the body and protecting vital organs, functions and systems.
Scientists have calculated safe daily doses of various types of alcoholic drinks. These indicators apply to adults who rarely drink and do not have chronic diseases.
Any amount of alcohol is strictly prohibited:
- persons under 18 years of age;
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as couples planning a pregnancy.
Among the different types of alcohol, vodka is considered the safest, and energy cocktails are considered the least safe.
Non-alcoholic beer brewed using the brewing technique also contains a small proportion of ethanol (from 0. 5%), therefore cannot be considered harmless to health and requires restrictions on the amount consumed.