2024-01-06 06:05:01
More than one in five French people consume more alcohol than recommended by health authorities, of two drinks maximum per day, and not every day. But exactly what risks are they taking?
The slogan is now familiar: “for your health, alcohol is a maximum of two drinks per day and not every day”. In France, 23.6% of 18-75 year olds estimated in 2017 exceed this consumption threshold. Without having developed an alcohol dependence, or being able to be decently qualified”of alcoholics“But then, what risks for their health are they actually exposed to? We asked the question to a specialist, Julien Bouvret, director of the Franche-Comté Addiction Group.
Coordinator of addiction networks in the region, Julien Bouvret systematically begins by providing a reminder: “the principle is not to demonize the alcohol product, because it is also a pleasant substance, but to address risk reduction.”
“We must start from the principle that it is a toxic substance for the body, psychologically and somatically, whatever its consumption” he explains. “It’s a basic toxic substance.”
During the operation “Dry January“, which offers each year to those who wish to no longer drink alcohol for a month to question their consumption, the WHO has also recalled what “no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.”
The health effects of alcohol vary, however, depending on levels of consumption, repetition and duration of exposure to the product. “The idea is to bring nuance to our way of seeing this consumption of alcohol, and to be able to re-regulate this substance and to once once more have control over this substance” believes Julien Bouvret.
Contrary to popular belief, the harmful effects of excessive alcohol consumption appear quickly: “alcohol has a short-term anxiolytic effect, if you are anxious, initially it relieves, but it has a depressogenic side” cites Julien Bouvret as an example. He details: “If you have trouble sleeping, you’re going to drink alcohol, and it’s going to make you sleep, but in reality, your sleep is going to be poor quality.”
Among the short-term effects, he also cites “mood disorders, impact on the cardiac system with high blood pressure”. Excessive alcohol consumption causes, on a collective scale, “an increase in risk-taking and violence, particularly domestic violence”.
On the other hand, stop or significantly reduce your alcohol consumption for a month, as suggested by “Dry January” allows “see some changes”, “both on tension and on sleep, skin, weight and self-esteem.” Alcohol, which is very caloric, actually modifies the way in which the body metabolizes fatsand impacts the skin renewal.
In France, it is estimated that excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for 41,000 dead per year. The main cause associated with his deaths is cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute, alcohol is the “second preventable cause of cancer mortality”. “The ethanol contained in alcoholic beverages is transformed in the body into compounds that promote the development of cancer” describes the Institute.
The Canadian Cancer Society adds that these are the “cancers of the head or neck, breast, colon or rectum, esophagus, liver, stomach and pancreas” who are the most favored. Furthermore, consuming alcohol and tobacco increases the harmful effects of each product.
General consequences, because “l’aAlcohol passes into the blood and is distributed everywhere. explains Julien Bouvret.
Ultimately, “ethanol impacts different organs: the pancreas, the liver, the heart” lists the director of the Addiction Group. “You don’t need to be addicted, if you consume excessively, you will have an increased long-term risk of cardiovascular problems, such as stroke or hypertension, or other disorders such as diabetes. he describes. Cardiovascular pathologies linked to overconsumption of alcohol are believed to be the cause of 10,000 deaths per year.
More, “the first organ impacted is the brain” says Julien Bouveret. “It is one of the most neurotoxic substances known, with effects as consumption increases, and the higher the consumption.”. At the end of the day, cognitive impairment. In alcoholics, they can go as far as a form of dementia, Korsakoff’s syndrome.
If you are not satisfied with your levels of alcohol consumption, whatever they may be, you can be accompanied by professionals. addiction networks. Without judgment, these organizations offer concrete and pragmatic support to those who seek them.
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