Download Digestion and Alcohol - Alberta Health Services

Digestion and Alcohol
Absorption

How is alcohol absorbed in the body?
20% absorbed through the stomach
 80% absorbed through the small
intestine


From there to the bloodstream
and the rest of the body

What does the liver do?
 Metabolizes
(breaks down) alcohol
Alcohol and Stomach Issues

Ulcers, gastritis, bleeding of the stomach
lining

Alcohol inhibits the stomach’s ability to
produce enough prostaglandins
 What


are prostaglandins again?
Protect the stomach from digestive fluids
Even beverages containing only 5% to 10%
alcohol can cause damage
 Equivalent



amounts of alcohol
bottle of regular-strength beer
glass of wine
shot of tequila
Binge Drinking … So What?

Binge drinking is drinking more alcohol than the
body can “metabolize” (processing the alcohol
until there is no alcohol left in the bloodstream).

Health Canada standards

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
Alcohol-induced vomiting

Poison control cells in your brain detect damage and
send a message to stomach to induce vomiting


Adult males: four standard drinks on one occasion
Adult females: three standard drinks on one occasion
Not necessarily from mixing drinks or drinking on an empty
stomach
Drinking games and JELL-O® shots

Alcohol not as noticeable so can get very drunk easily
Alcohol Poisoning

The "lethal dose" (LD) of alcohol is clinically
defined as the amount that would kill half the
population (the LD50).


Most authorities place the LD50 at about 0.40% or
about five times the current legal limit.
LD depends on body size:


A 50-kilogram man or woman who was drinking very quickly
would reach the lethal level after about 8 to 10 drinks in an
hour.
Symptoms

Vomiting, passing out, difficult to wake up, slow and
shallow breathing
What to do??
Call 911
 Put them in the
recovery position



Reduce chance of
choking
Don’t let them sleep
Alcohol and the Liver

The liver is the main site where alcohol is
broken down:
Long-term heavy drinking may destroyed or alter
the liver resulting in fat deposits (fatty liver).
 Alcoholic hepatitis

 Inflammation

Cirrhosis
 Permanent

of the liver
Liver cancer
scarring of the liver
Stages of Liver Damage
Alcohol and Medications
Many prescribed and over-the-counter
medications interact with alcohol, thereby
altering the metabolism or effects of
alcohol and/or the medication.
 Examples


Antibiotics, antidepressants, antihistamines,
barbiturates, benzodiazepines, muscle
relaxants, pain and anti-inflammatory
medications