Accumulated during the breakdown of alcohol. Biochemical mechanism of alcohol's effects on the body

We invited a biology teacher to this meeting, who told us information about alcohol and its effect on the body.

Pure alcohol is a strong poison; a 60-70% solution has an inhibitory effect on microorganisms, destroying them partially or completely killing them. If the concentration of the solution is above 20%, it causes dehydration (dehydration) and coagulation (clotting) of protein substances and protoplasm of the cell. Alcohol is a drug that has an intoxicating effect on the body, but, unlike other drugs, this effect on the body is manifested only when relatively large doses are consumed - from 0.2 to 0.5 g per liter of blood. The interval between its narcotic and toxic concentrations is quite significant. The lethal dose of pure (100%) alcohol varies depending on the weight and age of the person within the following limits: for infants -5-15 g; for children -50-100 g; for an adult - 200-500 g.

Alcohol is a typical protoplasmic poison that most severely affects nerve cells and liver cells. Drinking alcohol is very quickly absorbed into the blood in the stomach (about 20%) and in the intestines (about 80%). As a rule, the process of alcohol passing into the blood lasts from 45 to 90 minutes, and sometimes, as an exception, up to 2 hours. The concentration of alcohol in the blood increases very quickly - literally a few minutes after a person takes the first sip. The decomposition of alcohol begins almost simultaneously with its ingestion or shortly after ingestion. Only a small part of the alcohol does not change and is excreted from the body through the kidneys and lungs. The rest of the alcohol, due to its good solubility, is distributed relatively evenly throughout the intercellular space in all tissues of the body.

More than 100 years ago, the Russian scientist I.M. Sechenov proved that alcohol entering the blood does not completely disintegrate. Being a good solvent for fats, it easily passes through the membrane of nerve cells and through their processes, which are protein-fat complexes. Alcohol dissolved in fats lingers in nerve cells for a longer time than in the blood, disrupting the normal course of metabolism. As a chemically active compound, alcohol interacts with various enzymes and other participants in the normal metabolic process. In this case, enzymes, substances and oxygen intended for other processes are consumed, excess heat is released, and the material and energy balance in the body is disrupted. The degree of disruption of the nervous system depends on the general condition of the body, on the amount and concentration of alcohol consumed.

Disturbances in metabolism and energy balance lead to changes in the normal control and regulatory function of nerve cells. They cease to fully or partially perceive, process and transmit nerve impulses, and therefore characteristic insensibility, a state of alcoholic coma or loss of coordination of movements are observed. Some of the changes, such as superficial redness of the skin and an increase in its temperature, become tangible when the concentration of alcohol in the blood exceeds 0.15 g per 1 liter, but its actual breakdown in the body has not yet begun. This shows that alcohol becomes simply poison for the body. It is believed that in every kilogram of human weight, about 1 g of alcohol can oxidize per hour.

When alcohol enters the bloodstream, the action of special liver enzymes - alcohol dehydrogenases - is activated, they strive to quickly rid the body of this poison. Regardless of the increased speed of the ongoing redox process, a certain amount of alcohol remains unchanged. Its concentration in the blood leaving the liver, although small, is significantly higher than in the normal state of the body. About 85% of the alcohol that enters the body is destroyed in the liver, partially oxidizing to acetic acid. This primary oxidation of alcohol occurs at a constant maximum rate. A small, highly variable portion of alcohol is oxidized under the influence of the enzyme catalase to acetaldehyde (acetaldehyde), which has a narcotic effect 5-10 times stronger than alcohol itself. Further oxidation of acetaldehyde to acetic acid is carried out using the enzymes aldehyde oxidase and aldehyde dehydrogenase.

Then our school doctor spoke, who said that with the systematic use of alcohol, its breakdown occurs at a high speed, but now it turns from a temporary protective reaction of the body into a permanent one. The imperceptible transformation of an emergency (accelerated) state of metabolism into a “normal” state is explained by the development of the body’s need to systematically obtain the required amount of alcohol for the protective mechanism to take effect - the breakdown of alcohol. Unlike morphine, with the use of which physical dependence develops extremely quickly, over several weeks and even days, alcohol, acting much more slowly, causes persistent disturbances in enzymatic processes in the body, leading to physical dependence. But mental dependence on alcohol occurs much faster under the influence of “pleasant” company and surroundings, an unhealthy environment, and due to a person’s lack of willpower. Therefore, the danger lies not only in drunkenness, but also in “moderate” consumption of alcoholic beverages.

The main center for neutralizing alcohol in the body is the liver, but its ability to quickly cope with incoming poison is not unlimited. Liver cells are very sensitive to alcohol, and they are negatively affected by frequent contacts with this protoplasmic poison, which disrupts intracellular respiration and enzymatic metabolism. The more often these contacts occur and the greater the strength of the alcoholic drink consumed, the weaker the damaged cells fulfill their main purpose - neutralizing the poison, which begins to penetrate unchanged into the nerve cells, damaging and destroying them. The disease continues its onset: an increasing number of nerve cells die, intelligence and memory suffer, performance decreases, and various forms of mental changes and disorders appear. They are especially severe with the combined use of alcohol and other drugs (polydrug addiction); the patient feels well only when he drinks.

Of course, all these changes in the biochemical processes in the body do not occur immediately, but develop gradually, unnoticed by the person who is addicted to drinking alcohol. At first, these changes are reversible, and after the complete breakdown of alcohol, the body returns to normal activity, although the person experiences residual effects of alcoholism: headache, bad mood, decreased performance and other “innocent” unpleasant sensations. With systematic alcohol consumption, the body's resistance to infections and the influence of toxic substances decreases, and its reactivity to drugs changes. For example, the body becomes very sensitive to lead, which is usually neutralized (up to 80%) by deposition in the bones. Under the influence of even small doses of alcohol, lead is released and exerts its toxic effect. Under the influence of alcohol, some medications begin to exhibit completely unexpected properties and have undesirable effects: the treatment does not have a positive effect, and the patient’s condition worsens.

The most powerful is the direct effect of alcohol on the cell structures of the digestive organs and the nerve endings located in them. Alcohol inhibits the activity of the pancreas and irritates the stomach, lowers the concentration of insulin in the blood, and increases the acidity of gastric juice. Alcohol dissolved in the blood reduces the surface tension between red blood cells (erythrocytes), which begin to stick together easily, clog capillaries, narrowing their patency, and cause minor hemorrhages, which have unpleasant consequences, especially for the brain or heart.

Alcohol also has a direct effect on the kidneys, through which it is partially excreted from the body. The presence of alcohol in the urine leads to kidney disease or exacerbation of pre-existing diseases. Partial release of alcohol vapor through the lungs leads to damage to the elastic tissue of the respiratory system. Thus, emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis develop rapidly with a very poor prognosis.

Although these lesions of internal organs are not specific and occur not only under the influence of alcohol, they occur in alcoholics 4 times more often than in non-drinkers. Alcoholics are more likely to suffer from both pneumonia and pulmonary tuberculosis. In alcoholics, the body's immune resistance to infections is significantly weakened. This is especially evident during influenza epidemics, when the number of people who contract it in sanatoriums and clinics for alcoholics significantly exceeds the number of people who suffer from influenza in other medical institutions. Acute infectious diseases are one of the most common causes of death in alcoholism.

Severe damage to white (leukocytes) and red (erythrocytes) blood cells in a person who abuses alcohol is associated with the direct toxic effect of alcohol on the bone marrow, as well as its negative effect on the function of the stomach in relation to the production of the so-called internal antianemic factor. Systematic consumption of alcohol leads to difficult absorption of nutrients, deficiency in the body of vitamins A, B, C, K, etc., manifested by corresponding painful symptoms. Soviet scientists have proven that alcohol causes, although short-term, a significantly increased readiness of the blood to coagulate and form blood clots, which in itself can have dangerous consequences for the body.

Only some (out of all the variety) types of adverse effects of alcohol on the human body have been described here. In severe acute and long-term chronic alcohol poisoning, serious painful changes occur in the body. They will be the subject of discussion at the next club meeting. Preparations for this last meeting of ours have been carried out since the beginning of the year, and then the idea was born to invite members of the biology circle to take part in a scientific and theoretical conference.

No matter how paradoxical it may sound, progress did not always give only positive effects. For example, various infusions of alcohol initially appeared and were used as medicinal ones. And alcohol itself acts as a preservative for substances found in fruits and berries.

Somewhere in the middle of the 15th century, the Russians found a technology for producing alcohol based on their own raw materials. After the Napoleonic War of 1812, Russian vodka in France began to be perceived as a noble and pure drink of the victors.

The dangers, and possibly benefits, of drinking alcohol are discussed in the video material.

Video lesson “Alcohol in the human body”

Against the background of euphoria of progressive proportions, popularity and variety of drinks, experts began to increasingly think about such a problem as the effect of alcohol on the body. And first of all, what is ethyl alcohol?

The answer is simple - it is a chemical compound that is harmful to the body.

A very small part of it is absorbed in the mouth when consumed. About 80% is in the small intestine and about a fifth is in the stomach. The decomposition of alcohol in the human body occurs along the entire path of alcohol:

Alcohol enters the body.
Descends into the stomach.
Alcohol processing begins in the stomach.
Alcohol gets into the heart.
The heart supplies alcohol to the brain.

The liver contains the main enzymes that break down alcohol. Moreover, the body also produces alcohol, only 0.01%. But this is enough to provide 10% of the volume of energy metabolism.

Is it a lot or a little?

If a person drinks a glass of vodka, after a few hours an additional portion of alcohol will appear in the body: 80 kg (weight) + 200 g (vodka) + 2 hours = 0.1% endogenous alcohol.

Notice the difference between the 0.1% that comes from outside with vodka, without any difficulty, and the 0.01% that the body itself produces? This is the same as giving a person working with one shovel 10 more people with shovels to help him. What will the first one do? He will stop working and will begin to constantly demand outside help.

The situation is even more complicated with the female body, which lacks the necessary enzymes, in particular in the stomach.

The second enzyme, which turns on the body’s action when alcohol appears in it, is located in the cells of the human body.

The liver and kidneys are most active in counteracting alcohol. And the heart muscle, brain and retina, as part of it, are protected to a lesser extent - this is the weakest link in the chain of alcohol movement through the body. But here the highest concentration of alcohol is formed: in the brain it is one and a half times higher than in the blood, therefore the effect of alcohol is more noticeable.

The decomposition of alcohol in the human body from its dangerous state, C2H5OH, goes through the transformation into an even more dangerous compound acetaldehyde - CH3CHO and acetyl coenzyme A, CH3COOH, and only after that into water, H2O, and carbon dioxide, CO2.

Removing toxic substances from the body is the main question for understanding the process and how to treat.

The problem is not only in the vodka, but also in the dosage. Our “feast professionals” make fun of the plots of overseas films, where the heroes drink a glass of beer in small doses all evening. But this is not at all from weakness. The movie characters in the frame consume as much alcohol as the human body can handle.

A standard has been determined that cannot be exceeded

Every 1-2 grams per 1 kg of human weight is harmless to the body or:

40-60 or maximum 80 ml of vodka;
glass of wine, i.e. 150 – 200 ml;
0.3 liters of beer.

We wish you health and reasonable drinking during the feasts!

Drinking alcohol goes mainly into the intestines and partially into the stomach. The level of ethanol in the blood increases sharply and quickly. The process of alcohol absorption occurs within 1.5–2 hours. At the same time, a breakdown mechanism is launched in the liver, which removes 90% of the alcohol from everything drunk from the body. The remaining 10% is excreted through the sweat glands, respiratory tract and kidneys.

In the liver, alcohol is neutralized using oxidative reactions. First, alcohol is converted into acetaldehyde, which in turn is converted into acetic acid, which breaks down into carbon dioxide, water and calories. For different people, these processes occur at different time intervals. Therefore, for equally drunk people, intoxication may not occur simultaneously.

Removing alcohol from the human body

Alcohol is removed from the human blood through the liver's processing of decay products and through natural evaporation. “Weathering” of alcohol vapor occurs through the kidneys, lungs and skin. The removal of alcohol from the human body depends on a number of factors:

body mass;
gender;
amount of alcohol consumed;
strength of drinks;
liver condition;
age.

The period of complete decomposition of ethanol is individual and depends on the health status of the man. Calculations must be made taking into account age and weight. Women are less resistant to alcohol intoxication, so they have a lower rate of alcohol removal from the blood than men. Drinking alcohol on an empty stomach provokes rapid absorption of alcohol into the blood. Wine drunk after a meal will have a slower effect on the body.

The average breakdown time of alcohol in the blood is 0.1–0.2 ppm per hour in men and 0.075–0.15 ppm in women.

Consumption of water in large quantities.
The use of drugs that have a diuretic effect.
Taking a cool bath or invigorating shower.
A long walk in the fresh air.
Rest for a few hours or get a full night's sleep.

Antipolice and coffee are not able to remove alcohol from the body, they only eliminate the smell of alcohol for a short period of time, and therefore are not recommended for consumption.

Time table for the breakdown of alcohol in the blood in men

Time of breakdown of alcohol in the blood of men per 100 grams of alcohol consumed. Time is given in minutes:

Name and strength of alcoholic drink/body weight	Less than 60 kg	From 60 to 70 kg	70–80 kg	80–90 kg	90–100 kg	More than 100 kg
Beer 5%	35	29	25	20	18	15
Beer 6%	45	35	30	25	23	20
Low alcohol drink 9% (gin and tonic, whiskey and cola and others)	75	60	55	50	45	40
Sparkling champagne 12%	100	80	71	64	59	50
Dry wine 14%	115	105	95	88	80	75
Vermouth 17%	140	125	115	105	98	90
Port 19%	155	140	125	115	105	95
Sherry 20%	150	135	130	110	100	98
Tincture 25%	200	185	175	160	150	140
Liqueur 30%	260	250	235	220	210	200
Rum 38%	320	300	290	280	265	250
Vodka 40%	350	335	320	310	300	290
Brandy 41%	360	350	340	325	315	300
Tequila 55%	450	435	420	410	400	390
Absinthe 70%	555	540	530	520	505	490

These tables are conditional and are presented for informational purposes only.

The time it takes for alcohol to disintegrate in the blood varies from person to person, but there are still approximate indicators of when alcohol will be eliminated from the body. Such data will be of interest to those people who drive public transport or their own car.

It's no secret that alcohol negatively affects a person's consciousness, the central nervous system, and even in small quantities can provoke a number of disorders that will lead to unpleasant consequences for the general well-being of the drinker and negatively affect his actions. Alcohol abuse is dangerous for both men and women, so you should always control the amount of alcohol you drink at dinner events and try not to drink more than 3-4 times a year.

Indicators of alcohol removal from the body

A table that shows the breakdown of alcohol in the blood will help a person determine the amount of alcohol in order to completely remove it from the body within a specific time. Alcohol dosage in the table is 100 g.

Human body weight/alcoholic beverages	50-60 kg	65-70 kg	80 kg	85-95 kg	More than 100 kg
Beer	From 35 minutes to 1 hour (depending on the strength of the drink)	30-45 minutes	From 25 minutes to 40	From 20 minutes to 34	From 20 minutes to 30
Low alcohol drinks 7-9% vol.	From 1 hour 20 minutes.	1,05	55 minutes.	50 minutes.	45 minutes
Sparkling champagne	1.30	1.20	1.10	1.05	55 minutes
Liquor	4.20	3.40	3.15	2.55	2.35
Vodka 40% vol.	5.45	4.55	4.20	3.50	3.30
Good cognac over 40% vol.	6 hours	5.15	4.30	4.05	3.35
Pharmacy tincture with alcohol (more than 20% vol.)	3.25	2.55	2.35	2.15	2.05

These indicators are more accurate for healthy people with normal functioning of internal organs. If you have gastrointestinal diseases or chronic diseases, then the breakdown time of alcohol can vary greatly.

In the female body, alcoholic drinks are retained 15-20% longer than in the male body, so all the data in the table above needs to be increased slightly to find out the time frame for complete elimination of alcohol.

The influence of various factors on the decay process

The time it takes to remove alcohol from the body depends not only on the degrees of the drink itself. The breakdown of alcohol in the blood can be affected by a number of factors, such as:

a person’s body weight (the larger and larger the person, the faster he will eliminate alcohol);
amount of alcohol consumed;
metabolism;
functionality of sweat glands;
food and the products themselves that a person consumed before and during alcohol consumption;
physical activity of a person before and during the feast;
human health, his well-being at the time of drinking alcohol, bad habits;
age indicators (in mature people, the process of alcohol breakdown is half as slow as in young people).

Alcohol affects people very differently and can sometimes lead to serious health problems. The dose consumed by patients with diabetes mellitus should be controlled, since alcohol can lead to hypoglycemic coma. The amount of alcohol consumed at one time should not exceed 50 g. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should abstain from alcohol altogether.

Acceleration of alcohol removal from the body

Alcohol is completely eliminated from the body when it oxidizes. This unfavorable product is synthesized by the main filter of the human body - the liver, and less than 10% is excreted by the kidneys, sweat glands and lungs.

Using certain techniques you can speed up the elimination of alcohol. For example, at home you can use:

strong coffee;
tea;
cool shower;
citrus fruit juice;
products high in vitamin C (onions, kiwi, rose hips, etc.);
visiting a bathhouse or sauna to increase sweating (not recommended for heart or vascular diseases);
playing sports (basic exercises will help increase sweating and speed up the process of removing alcohol from the blood);
activated carbon (it’s good to drink 1 tablet per 10 kg of weight before the feast);
a walk in the fresh air.

To prevent the influence of alcohol from being felt very strongly, you need to eat properly and well during dinner gatherings. In particular, you need to eat more citrus fruits and meat dishes.

Traditional medicine offers its own methods to speed up the breakdown of alcohol in the body. Using them at home is strictly prohibited, since such procedures require special skills and knowledge. Such drugs are administered intravenously, using the drip method. In particular, alcohol is eliminated through:

Hemodesa;
Reopoliglyukina;
glucose;
B vitamins;
drugs aimed at improving cardiac function.

This video talks about the rate at which alcohol is eliminated from the body:

If you urgently need to remove alcohol from your body, you need to contact a specialist who will help you do this at home or in a hospital.

Ethyl alcohol (C 2 H 5 OH), called alcohol, is a potent poison for any organism, and after entering the body it begins to be instantly broken down by the corresponding enzymes. Let's figure out how the breakdown of alcohol in the body is carried out, what organs and enzymes are involved in this, what is the result of the decomposition of ethanol, and we will touch a little on the topic of accelerating the destruction of poison by the forces of the body itself.

Enzymes that decompose ethanol

Only when the body is significantly poisoned with alcohol does it react to the poison by removing the toxic substance out through the digestive organs. Thus, only part of the alcohol leaves the stomach, and only in severe cases. In most situations, all ethyl alcohol is processed, breaking down into simpler molecules that are less harmful to the body. There are only two enzymes involved in this:

alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) - a substance containing zinc and oxidizes alcohol to ketones and aldehydes, synthesized by the liver and in small volumes by the stomach;
Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ACDH) is produced by the liver and oxidizes aldehyde to acetic acid, which is practically harmless to the body compared to ethanol.

Molecular diagram

The speed and efficiency of alcohol oxidation depends on its quantity, the state of a person’s health, the degree of damage to his body due to the consumption of alcoholic beverages and other factors. The above enzymes are produced in non-drinkers and even mammals, for which there is a logical explanation: the digestion of stale and fermented foods in the stomach. In some peoples, for example, those actually destroyed by the Indian colonialists, ACDH, which breaks down acetaldehyde into vinegar, is not actually synthesized, causing them to become intolerant to alcohol. For this reason, many tribes of North America during the Conquest were simply wiped off the face of the earth with the help of alcoholic beverages. Some people have a genetic disorder that causes the liver to produce much less acetaldehyde dehydrogenase than required. , and their body temperature rises due to the accumulation of acetaldehyde, which the enzyme cannot cope with.

Thus, only two enzymes, produced mainly in the liver, fight the poison so that the drinker recovers from ethanol.

C2H5OH splitting scheme

The female body synthesizes ADH mainly in the liver, and therefore almost all alcohol decomposes after absorption into the blood from the stomach and small intestine. In men, the proportion of enzyme produced in the stomach is higher, and therefore less ethyl alcohol enters the intestines. This is the mechanism why women get drunk faster, even if they take the same dose of alcohol per unit of weight as men.

A small proportion (according to various sources, 2-5%) of alcohol is removed from the body along with sweat, urea and steam during breathing. The latter is the cause of the so-called drunken burnout. Acetic acid decomposes to water and carbon dioxide. There is no way a person can noticeably speed up this process. A healthy diet and sleep after drinking will have a positive effect on the dynamics of alcohol processing. Various tablets will only ease the symptoms of a hangover, but will certainly not help break down ethanol or acetic acid.

The drinker's liver produces more and more ADH over time. As a result, the alcoholic’s body begins to suffer from excess acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde dehydrogenase is synthesized in the usual volumes and cannot cope with the breakdown of ethanol decomposition products. As a result, severe intoxication with acetaldehyde and a significant load on the liver, which is working in an intensive mode.

Speeding up the hangover

Despite the fact that it is almost impossible to produce enzymes in a larger volume, you can still help yourself in eliminating alcohol and its decomposition products even at home.

Fresh fruits and vegetables will give vitality to the body. Fatty, thermally processed and synthetic foods are not advisable for eliminating a hangover.
Consuming liquid in large quantities will prevent dehydration and will help accelerate many biological processes, including oxidation.
Sorbents like activated carbon will speed up the removal of toxins from the intestines and stomach.

And finally. Why forcefully poison your body, and even pay for it? If you become addicted, it would be better to spend the money you try to drink on medicine for alcoholism. By ordering it online, you will remain anonymous and can quickly get back on your feet.

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