Almost no party is complete without alcohol. But everything should be in moderation: a small dose of alcoholic beverages will be beneficial and cheer you up. Some types of alcohol are safer than others. The main thing is that they do not contain methyl alcohol, as this will lead to disastrous consequences.
Classification of alcohol dangers
Any food product containing at least 1. 5% ethyl alcohol is alcoholic. Alcoholic beverages are systematized by C₂H₅OH level, type of raw materials used, type of production and aging criteria.
By the presence of alcohol:
- low content - beer, wine;
- high - vodka, cane rum, gin, grain whiskey, grape brandy and more.
All drinks are produced from different types of raw materials.
The former can be divided as follows
- made from grapes - cognac, wine, Italian grappa;
- cereals – whiskey, beer groups, vodka;
- fruits and berries – Calvados apple, liqueur, liqueur;
- herbal - balsam, rum, Mexican tequila, absinthe.
Each alcoholic beverage has its own ethanol content.
The presence of the latter can be distributed as follows:
- high – from 67 to 96% of the container volume;
- normal – 31 to 66;
- average – 9 to 30;
- low – from 1. 5 to 9.
The latest line includes everyone's favorite beer, domestic low-alcohol products, kvass, palm toddy and shandy.
Drinks with a medium ethanol content are represented by wines, mulled wine, punch and mead.
The upper step is occupied by vodka, armagnac, tequila, rum, absinthe and other intoxicating liquids. Drinking ethyl alcohol takes first place. The alcohol volume reaches 95%.
It is believed that the main harm to health is caused by the degree of the drink, however, consumption of products containing weak alcohol can cause as much harm as strong products.
Characteristics of less harmful alcohol
Judgments regarding intoxicating liquids vary widely. Some nutritionists claim that drinking beverages is beneficial, while others claim that it is harmful to your health.
The criteria for the least harmful alcohol are as follows:
- The degree of its quality.
- Quantity of ethanol.
- Flavor additions.
- Performance.
According to medical experts, vodka is considered less harmful to health. Of course, this condition is met with minimal use.
This conclusion is due to the following factors:
- low amount of calories contained;
- absence of harmful carbonyl group;
- the simplicity of an alcoholic liquid - water with alcohol.
A quality product consumed almost never causes a hangover. But that doesn't mean you can drink vodka without measure. To avoid poisoning, the snack should consist of fatty foods.
However, experts call authentic grape wines the least safe alcohol for the liver. The fruits of the bush do not contain harmful residues. If you do not separate the skins from the berries, you get a red grape variety, recognized as the healthiest.
This is due to the fact that the vitamins contained in the shell pass into the liquid alcohol medium, saturating the body with microelements and organic nitrogen compounds.
Antioxidants improve the functioning of the circulatory system and rejuvenate cells. Wine is successfully used to extract an extract from it, which is used to make injections and various cosmetic products.
Negative effects on the human body
The negative impact of alcoholic beverages is manifested in the following:
Organs exposed to alcohol and diseases that can occur under the influence of alcoholic beverages
- Intoxication disrupts the flow of oxygen to the brain, causing brain cells to die. Encephalopathy develops, the changes are irreversible.
- The cardiovascular system is affected. Pathologies develop: ischemia and hypertension, cardiomyopathy. In some people, alcohol dependence causes an enlarged heart.
- The respiratory rate increases, tuberculosis and chronic bronchitis develop.
- The functions of the digestive system are disrupted, as the mucous membrane experiences the effect of the poison. Patients are diagnosed with gastritis and peptic ulcer disease. Alcohol destroys the liver, causes cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatosis.
- Disorders of excretory function occur. Alcohol is harmful to the kidneys, because under the influence of alcohol their epithelium is destroyed.
- The endocrine glands are affected. Nearly half of people suffering from alcoholism have diminished sexual function. Against this background, neuroses, depressions and other disorders of the central nervous system arise. In women, the menstrual cycle is disrupted, menopause occurs prematurely, and gestosis and miscarriages are possible during pregnancy.
- The skin and muscle tissues are exhausted and various dermatological diseases appear.
- Hematopoietic processes are disrupted, the production of lymphocytes decreases and allergic reactions appear.
- Mental abnormalities occur: convulsions, hallucinations, partial loss of sensation in the limbs.
The most serious form of poisoning is delirium tremens.Even timely treatment may not bring results. The patient ceases to orient himself in time and space, his pulse accelerates, his blood pressure increases and, in some cases, his temperature increases.
Regular alcohol consumption reduces life expectancy and leads to premature aging and disability.
Does the harm depend on the level of alcohol?
Alcohol content determines when alcohol is eliminated from the body. The lower this indicator, the less harm the drink will do to a person.
For this reason, products containing a large amount of ethanol are considered the most dangerous.
How to choose the least harmful alcohol
The choice of the least dangerous alcoholic drink should be based on criteria that determine the level of harmful effects on the human body. These criteria include:
- quality (manufacturer, compliance with established safety requirements, bottling, transport and storage conditions);
- strength (the amount of ethyl alcohol in the composition);
- availability of flavoring additives and their range;
- the rate of absorption of alcohol into the blood.
A correctly selected alcoholic drink will cause minimal harm to the body and prevent the development of serious pathologies and hangover syndrome.
How harmful are poor quality raw materials?
The main toxic effect on the human body is acetaldehyde (a breakdown product of ethyl alcohol). This substance is present in all alcoholic beverages and is harmful to health.Expensive products made from higher quality raw materials are considered the least harmful.The low cost is due to insufficient purification of the composition of fusel oils.
Even homemade wines and moonshine, made from purified water and quality products, are more harmful than their store-bought counterparts. It is impossible to properly purify raw materials without the necessary equipment and technology. When choosing alcohol, give preference to drinks that do not contain synthetic ingredients.
What is the difference between expensive and cheap alcohol
There is an opinion that the harm of alcohol is the same, regardless of the quality and cost of the drink. But there is a difference between cheap, low-quality alcohol and an expensive "elite" product.
A low price indicates that cheap and poor quality raw materials were used in production. This affects the composition of the alcoholic beverage and also worsens the consequences of its consumption.
Manufacturers who follow safety standards and care about the quality of the finished product use more expensive raw materials and complex cleaning processes. This certainly affects the price in the direction of its rise.
spirit world
To find out which alcoholic drink is the most harmless, you need to learn about the types of alcohol. The most common gradation is the classification of alcohol by strength:
| Classification | Scroll |
strong alcohol |
brandy, whisky, ethyl alcohol (medical), sambuca, rum, vodka, absinthe, tequila, gin, cognac |
| medium strength drinks | vermouth, wines of all kinds, liqueurs, cider, martini, punch, grog |
| low alcohol (and carbonated) | beer, beer products, sparkling wines and champagne |
Many ordinary people talk about the harm of alcohol depending on their degree. And they believe that the weaker the alcohol, the safer it is.Based on this reasoning, we can say that the most harmless alcohol is beer or champagne. This is a big mistake.
The harm of alcohol does not depend on its degree. Even weak alcoholic drinks can provoke the development of alcoholism in a person.
Several years ago, Canadian scientists conducted a series of experiments that showed that most people do not suffer from strong alcohol. In the vast majority of cases, alcohol addiction was caused by light alcohol, drunk in large quantities and consistently. This caused rapid addiction and subsequent health problems.
Alcohol is destructive to all internal systems and organs
So, what is the safest alcohol, where to look for alcohol that you can drink calmly, without worrying about future health problems? We can say right away: there is no absolutely safe alcohol, any drink containing ethyl alcohol is a priori classified as dangerous and destructive. But there is a list compiled by scientists that lists alcoholic beverages in order of danger. See this note.
1st place: alcoholic energy drinks
In the spring of 2017, the world became aware of data from a long-term study organized and conducted by Canadian scientists. According to their research, the greatest danger to humans is a mixture of ethanol with various energy drinks or ready-made canned alcoholic energy cocktails.. In addition to the well-known harm of alcohol, these drinks bring their fans the following:
- Aggressive behavior attacks.
- Suicide attempts, most of which succeed.
- Increased injury rate. Fans of alcoholic energy cocktails were more likely to be involved in road accidents than fans of "purer" alcohol.
Alcoholic energy drinks are considered the most dangerous drinks for your health.
Scientists have found an explanation for this. Caffeine, which is necessarily included in the composition of such alcohol, has a relaxing effect on the body and removes the sedative effect of ethanol. As a result, a drunk person not only does not understand the very fact of intoxication, but also does not account for his own actions, considering them quite adequate.
Constant consumption of alcoholic energy drinks is accompanied by dizziness, weakness, loss of consciousness and memory problems. Sometimes a person who committed a crime due to poisoning with this product, after sobering up, is not able to remember what he did and where he was. Alcoholic energy drinks rightfully occupy an honorable first place in the ranking of the most dangerous alcoholic products.
2nd place: alcoholic cocktails
There is a huge army of fans of various delicious cocktails prepared with alcohol. They regularly drink it at parties, cafes and clubs. It is very difficult to convince them of the dangers of such a hobby. Can light and also aromatic cocktails be harmful? But in fact, they occupy the second position in the ranking of the most dangerous alcohols.
The harms of alcoholic cocktails lie in their composition
The problem lies in their composition. Indeed, in addition to alcohol, the ingredients include soft drinks, sugar water, liqueurs, syrups and juices. These components, when mixed with each other, create a dangerous mixture that:
- instantly absorbed into the blood;
- causes severe poisoning;
- increase the concentration of sugar in the body;
- leads to a serious hangover;
- significantly increase the load on almost all internal organs.
All body systems begin to work in emergency mode: the liver neutralizes ethanol while actively absorbing glucose. The kidneys try to quickly remove toxic toxins from the body, and the work of the pancreas is activated. And the heart increases its rhythm, trying to ensure normal blood flow to actively functioning organs.
Even a small glass of alcoholic cocktail triples the load on the body. The more a person drinks such drinks, the more his hangover syndrome will manifest itself.
3rd place: champagne and sparkling wines
Produced in strict compliance with the technological process, high-quality champagne will not cause much harm to the body if you drink it in the volume of one glass. But the passion for this drink will make him a terrible monster. The explanation is as follows:
- Good champagne contains a large amount of sugar. It has an extremely negative effect on the functioning and condition of the liver and pancreas.
- Once in the gastrointestinal tract, this drink leads to the development of rapid decomposition processes, involving the remains of undigested food. Champagne owes these processes to the carbon dioxide it contains.
A good champagne won't hurt if you don't drink more than one glass.
Large quantities of this pleasant and light alcohol can cause severe poisoning in humans. Sparkling wines work the same way. A mixture of ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide can knock down even a strong and tall man in a short time.
4th place: beer
An extremely popular drink, enjoyed in equal quantities by men and women.But in the meantime, this fragrant foam is very dangerous due to rapid addiction and the development of beer alcoholism.. Dangerously frothy and with a high dose of phytoestrogens, which hop cones are rich in.
Phytoestrogens contained in beer are plant analogues of female sex hormones. These compounds are extremely dangerous for both sexes. They contribute to serious disruptions in the hormonal system.
Unfortunately, narcologists now diagnose beer-related alcoholism much more often than addiction caused by strong drinks. Unfortunately, ignoring the dangers of beer, people begin to become addicted to it as early as adolescence, thereby ruining their own health. It is much more difficult to get rid of beer alcoholism than other types of addiction.
Regular consumption of beer leads to the rapid development of beer alcoholism
Long-term and constant addiction to intoxicating drinks leads to the following disorders:
- "live" beer, considered the "cleanest", is high in calories and quickly causes obesity;
- inhibits the production of natural sex hormones, which has a negative impact on the functioning of the reproductive system;
- causes global changes in the thickness and structure of the myocardium (heart muscle), this provokes the development of many heart pathologies.
Moreover, the harmful effect does not depend on the brand or brand of beer. This drink is dangerous in all cases, regardless of the variety and the manufacturing process. There is no such thing as a safe beer in nature.
5th place: cognac
According to scientists, the most harmless is the purest alcoholic drink, that is, without unnecessary additives. It is easier for the body to cope with such alcohol, which lacks other components, because less effort is spent on neutralizing aggressive components. Cognac is the least harmful alcohol. Additionally, it can also bring some benefits:
- Stabilizes high blood pressure;
- Stops the pathogenic activity of viruses.
Cognac has the ability to stabilize blood pressure, but only with moderate and rare consumption
But good cognac can be distinguished by such talents, provided that it is consumed minimally and infrequently. It is believed that the safe dose of this strong alcohol is no more than 50 g.
6th place: liqueurs
This alcohol is much safer than a number of low-alcohol alcohols. Liqueurs do not contain carbon dioxide and are traditionally consumed in small doses.Their only major drawback is their high sugar content.. It is for this reason that aromatic and tasty liqueurs should not be consumed by people suffering from diabetes and prone to rapid weight gain.
The disadvantages of liqueurs include a large amount of sugar in the composition.
7th place: wines
With moderate and competent consumption of red and rosé wines, they can even be considered medicinal. But such a statement is only valid for natural wine alcohol resulting from the fermentation of grapes. Certainly, in certain people predisposed to allergic manifestations, red wine can cause allergy attacks.
Women are recommended to drink good red wine (in strictly limited quantities), because this alcohol is rich in antioxidants that prevent aging of the body.
Wine can only be beneficial if consumed wisely
Moreover, when wondering which alcohol is the least harmful to the liver, doctors opt for good natural wine. The grape juice is fully fermented. When the seeds and remnants of the skin remain there, the result is red wine, which becomes the basis for wine production.
These wines have the least destructive power for the liver. They are also the most beneficial for the body, since all the most valuable substances from the peel and seeds of fruits are transferred to the composition of the wine.
8th place: vodka
According to the unanimous opinion of doctors, vodka, our legendary drink, already considered a national treasure, is the safest.But also insidious, because we can only speak of benefits if the quality of alcohol is high and its consumption minimal..
Vodka is considered the safest of all types of alcohol, but its regular consumption leads to the development of alcoholism.
Doctors, speaking about the safety of vodka, explain their words by the following qualities of this strong alcohol:
- minimum amount of calories;
- complete absence of carbohydrates;
- purity of the ingredients, vodka is made up of a mixture of water and alcohol.
By the way, high-quality vodka almost never leads to a serious hangover. But that doesn't mean you can drink it without a snack. Good, fatty foods are an essential complement to this alcohol.
Consequences of consuming alcoholic beverages
The consequences of drinking alcoholic beverages are divided into short-term, which appear a few hours after consumption, and long-term, which are felt after a long period of systematic libations.
The main short-term consequence is a state of intoxication, which is accompanied by changes in metabolic processes, disruptions in the functioning of the brain, vestibular apparatus and stress on all body systems.
The symptoms of alcohol poisoning vary depending on the concentration of ethanol in the blood, including:
- Confusion of speech and consciousness;
- decreased hearing and vision, hallucinations;
- sticking of red blood cells and, as a result, anemia;
- drowsiness;
- vomiting, diarrhea, nausea;
- headaches, tinnitus;
- difficulties in natural physiological processes (breathing, urination, etc. );
- memory loss;
- attacks of aggression, euphoria, sudden changes in mood.
When intoxicated, people are more likely to suffer domestic injuries, be involved in traffic accidents, and be involved in sexual violence or other forms of physical assault.
In the long term, people who systematically drink alcoholic beverages develop a stable addiction. This negatively affects both human health and the social and living conditions of his life.
Alcoholics face various physiological problems, but most often with:
- pathologies of internal organs, chronic intoxication of the body;
- spinal cord injuries, atrophic heart disease, stroke;
- throat, stomach, liver and colon cancer;
- hormonal disorders;
- erectile dysfunction, infertility, early menopause, etc. ;
- lack of B vitamins, calcium and zinc.
These problems are a consequence of the behavioral characteristics of an alcohol-dependent person who tends to lead an antisocial life.
Social problems such as:
- crisis in relationships with family, friends, colleagues;
- difficulties finding employment and work;
- tendency to violence, aggressive behavior;
- the formation of mental pathologies, including severe psychoses, personality disorders and manic states.
Impact speed
Depending on the speed of impact, all alcoholic beverages can be divided into two types:
| "Fast" | These include strong alcohols (400 and above), such as vodka, tequila, absinthe, etc. |
| "Slow" | Low-alcohol cocktails, champagne, beer and wine are slow-acting. |
Despite the fact that poisoning from vodka occurs faster than from beer, the harm to health can be equal. Often a person who prefers low alcohol drinks is not aware of how much they are drinking.
He cannot stop in time, when the amount of ethanol in the body already exceeds the safety limit. The consequence of such irrational behavior is severe intoxication and a severe hangover.
Drinking alcohol should be accompanied by a hearty snack - this significantly reduces the rate of absorption of alcohol into the blood, and also protects the gastrointestinal tract from the harmful effects of alcohol.
Conclusion
Ethyl alcohol contained in any alcoholic beverage is toxic. However, the liver is able to process small amounts of ethanol, completely removing it from the body and protecting vital organs, functions and systems.
Scientists have calculated safe daily doses of different types of alcohol-containing drinks. These indicators are valid for adults who rarely drink and do not suffer from chronic diseases.
Any quantity of alcohol is strictly prohibited:
- persons under 18 years of age;
- pregnant and lactating women, as well as couples planning a pregnancy.
Among the variety of types of alcohol, vodka is considered the safest, and energy cocktails are the least safe.
Alcohol-free beer brewed in accordance with brewing technology also contains a small amount of ethanol (from 0. 5%), therefore it cannot be considered safe for health and requires restrictions in the volume ofconsumption.