Alcohol Consumption and its Effects on the Liver

Authors

Eveline Weinreb

Abstract

Thousands of people die each year in the United States from alcohol related deaths. Why does the metabolism of alcohol cause severe damage to the body? Ethanol enters the body in the form of wine, and other alcoholic beverages and travels through the digestive system and then to the liver where it is metabolized. There are a series of steps involved in the breakdown of ethanol, and toxic byproducts are formed such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). These oxygen radicals can lead to damaged deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and to the formation of adducts. Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to liver inflammation and liver failure. Researchers are continuing to study and understand the specific mechanisms of liver damage as well as possible interceptions and cures.

Recommended Citation

Eveline Weinreb. (2023). Alcohol Consumption and its Effects on the Liver. The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences, 16(2), 45-50. Retrieved from https://touroscholar.touro.edu/sjlcas/vol16/iss2/8