Alcohol is bad for health primarily because it metabolizes into a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde, which can damage tissues such as the liver, pancreas, brain, and DNA. This damage can lead to mutations and increased risk of cancer. Alcohol also causes inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, disrupting gut microbes and promoting immune responses that may lead to tissue damage, liver cirrhosis, and brain damage.
Additionally, alcohol affects hormone metabolism, increasing estrogen levels that may raise breast cancer risk. Long-term alcohol use impacts multiple organs, causing problems such as liver disease (cirrhosis, fatty liver), heart disease, high blood pressure, cognitive decline, dementia, and mental health disorders like depression and addiction. Alcohol also weakens the immune system, slows wound healing, increases risk of infections, and raises cancer risk in several body parts including mouth, throat, stomach, and liver.
In summary, the harms of alcohol stem from its toxic metabolism, inflammatory effects, increased cancer risk, organ damage, and negative impacts on mental health and immunity. There is no safe level of alcohol consumption for health according to health authorities.
