Verena Briner, Switzerland Paracelsus, a famous physician of the 16th century, wrote ‘everything is poison and nothing is poison. It is a question of the dose’. It is true in alcohol consumption. Factors such as gender, cultural reasons, comorbidities and genetics may contribute to alcohol toxicity. The danger of alcohol consumption lies primarily in alcohol addiction, leading to chronic abuse and organ damage. This results in impaired function of the brain and nerves, the heart, the liver, the pancreas, gastro-intestinal tract, immune system and metabolism. In addition, chronic heavy drinking affects family life, work and causes often economic problems. Alcohol is absorbed fast and about 15 minutes after consumption reaches all organs of the body. Alcohol is mainly metabolized in the liver. However, in the stomach and intestine, alcohol results in the production of acetaldehyde (ACD). The ACD formed is an important factor in alcohol dependence. ACD also increases the release of mediators (histamine and bradykinin) to cause flushing. The of ACD is most severe in the brain and the heart. Abstinence from alcoholcauses increase in calcium uptake in the cells, causing arrythmia, tremor and even seizures. ACD does not pass the blood-brain barrier. In heart muscle, alcohol causes inflammation […]