You already know alcohol can affect your mood or how the night goes—but what’s actually happening inside your body?
Here’s a quick breakdown:
1. Alcohol enters a body
Once someone drinks alcohol, it heads straight to their stomach and gets absorbed into the bloodstream. From there, it travels all over—the brain, liver, heart, and more.
2. Alcohol messes with the brain
- Alcohol slows down the brain’s messaging system (neurotransmitters).
- That can make a person feel relaxed, tired, emotional, or impulsive.
- It especially affects memory—which is why “blackouts” can happen even when someone is still up and moving.
3. The liver works overtime
- The liver breaks down alcohol and clears it out. But it can only process about one drink per hour.
- Drinking faster than that? Alcohol builds up in the body—and that’s when harm can happen.
⚠️ Liver check:
- Long-term heavy use = risk of liver damage or disease
- Mixing alcohol with meds like acetaminophen (Tylenol) can seriously stress a liver.
4. The stomach might fight back
- Alcohol irritates the stomach lining—that’s why it can make drinkers nauseous or cause vomiting.
- Mixing alcohol with things like aspirin or other pain meds ups the risk of stomach bleeding or ulcers.
- Heavy drinking can also block a body from absorbing nutrients, so even if that person eats well, their body might not get what it needs.
The takeaway?
- Alcohol affects more than just a vibe—it hits major organs in the body.
- Listening to your body and pacing yourself helps reduce harm.
- And if alcohol just doesn’t feel right for you (or isn’t part of your life at all)—you’re not alone in that, either.
Try Interactive Body to learn more.