How much alcohol do you consume each day? Each week? Do you know how your consumption level is affecting your body? It's commonly known that excessive alcohol consumption can greatly affect our liver and its ability to function properly, but some other ways alcohol negatively affects your body are less commonly known. It's important to be aware of the way alcohol reacts in the body and what you should do to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

1.Your Body Metabolizes Alcohol First:

Your body doesn't have a way to store alcohol like it does for proteins, carbs and fats, so once alcohol is consumed, your body will make metabolizing it its priority. This greatly affects your liver since it is your liver's job to detoxify and remove alcohol from your blood stream.

2.Too Much Alcohol Can Lead to Heart Disease:

Long-term heavy drinking can cause your heart to become weak, leading to heart disease and other conditions such as high blood pressure. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol causes raised blood pressure which is one of the most popular risk factors for having a heart attack or stroke.

3.Alcohol Can Lead to Pancreatitis:

If alcohol is consumed in excess, it could lead to inflammation of the pancreas and pancreatitis. Both acute and chronic pancreatitis can be caused by heavy drinking. You're more likely to have repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis when you drink heavily, which can lead to permanent damage over time, causing chronic pancreatitis.

4.Drinking in Excess Can Put You At Risk of Certain Cancers:

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of developing certain cancers such as cancer of the mouth, esophagus, throat, liver, and breast.

5.Alcohol Can Affect Your Immune System:

If you drink every day or almost every day, you might notice that you tend to get sick often. This is because alcohol is weakening your immune system, making the body susceptible to infections.

So how much alcohol is too much? It is recommended that men consume no more than 2 drinks per day and women, 1 drink per day. Work on giving your body a rest from alcohol a few days a week and avoid binge drinking as much as possible.