We’ve all heard that drinking too much alcohol on a night out with friends can result in a horrible hangover, but experts warn that it can also cause far more serious problems than a headache and nausea.
Depending on how much you drink, alcohol can have serious consequences, with too many drinks frequently causing harm to a wide range of our organs and physical systems.
And, while a glass of wine or a pint of beer on a Friday night may appear harmless, we must recognise what any amount of alcohol may do to our health.
Here are five ways in which alcohol may be messing with your health:
Brain
Many of us are aware of the effect alcohol has on our mental ability, weakening both decision-making and motor skills and resulting in some embarrassing situations. This is because alcohol alters the pathways and neurotransmitters in the brain, causing changes in our mood, behavior, memory, and coordination.
As for the long term, Kim Goldin, senior GP and health assessment doctor at Nuffield Health told in a statement to The Independent: “It can result in a build-up of toxins in the brain and poor absorption of certain vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and thiamine.”
Liver
Drinking can also have serious long-term repercussions on the liver. Your liver is a highly durable organ, but every time you consume alcohol, some of the cells inside it die and must be replaced with newly regenerated ones.
According to the NHS, your liver will gladly digest one unit of alcohol every hour, but drinking excessively can cause significant damage. This can cause health problems such as cirrhosis, fibrosis, hepatitis, and liver cancer.
Most people think of alcohol as harmless or even “healthy in moderation.”
But the truth is, alcohol disrupts nearly every system in your body – especially your metabolism, fat storage, and cravings.
Here’s exactly how alcohol is sabotaging your health: pic.twitter.com/Q2DuPUnlRF
— Chris Boettcher (@chrisboettcher9) March 20, 2025
Heart
Drinking can also cause a variety of heart problems, including high blood pressure, irregular pulse, and weak heart muscles.
According to the British Heart Foundation, this can lead to major problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, and cardiomyopathy, a group of disorders that weaken the heart muscle’s capacity to pump blood adequately.
Furthermore, because alcohol might lead you to gain weight, putting additional strain on your heart, your risk of heart failure or stroke increases.
Society normalizes drinking, but here’s the truth they won’t tell you:
Alcohol wrecks sleep:
– One drink can reduce REM sleep by up to 40%
– Poor sleep leads to hormonal imbalances, fat gain, and cognitive decline
Alcohol fuels inflammation:
– It destroys gut bacteria (which…
— Gary Brecka (@thegarybrecka) March 16, 2025
Stomach and Digestive System
Have you ever wondered why you keep running to the toilet after a night of heavy drinking? This is because alcohol can cause gastritis, which is an inflammation of the stomach lining characterised by symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
GP, Dr Donald Grant notes: “Long-term drinking can lead to more serious issues such as pancreatitis or increase the risk of stomach and colon cancer.”
Immunity system
Furthermore, drinking too much might impair your immune system, increasing your risk of contracting a variety of ailments.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, heavy drinkers are more prone to become ill. At the same time, binge drinking can adversely impair your immune system for up to 24 hours.
