Alcohol
Alcohol (ethanol) is a central-nervous-system depressant that enhances GABA and inhibits glutamate, producing acute relaxation, disinhibition, and impaired coordination. It is among the most harmful recreational substances: chronic use drives dependence, liver disease, several cancers, cardiovascular harm, and cognitive and brain injury, and large analyses find no clearly "safe" level for some outcomes. Any short-term subjective benefits are outweighed by well-documented long-term risks.
Too little may be associated with
No requirement; none needed by the body.
Too much may be associated with
Intoxication, addiction, liver and brain damage.
Informational only — not medical advice.
Body systems
Functions
- Arousal (−)
- Circadian Rhythm Regulation (−)
- Motor Control (−)
- Pain Perception (−)
- Sleep Regulation (−)
- Voluntary Movement (−)
- Wakefulness (−)
Diseases
- Atrial fibrillation (−)
- Cirrhosis (−)
- Coronary artery disease (−)
- Erectile dysfunction (−)
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (−)
- Gout (−)
- Heart failure (−)
- Hyperlipidemia (−)
- Hypertension (−)
- Metabolic syndrome (−)
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (−)
- Obesity (−)
- Obstructive sleep apnea (−)
- Osteoporosis (−)
- Peptic ulcer disease (−)
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus (−)
Hormones
Neurotransmitters
Books (20)
A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps
Alcohol Explained
Alcohol Lied to Me: The Intelligent Way to Escape Alcohol Addiction
Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book 4th Edition
Beyond the Influence: Understanding and Defeating Alcoholism
Dopamine Nation
Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health
Drinking: A Love Story
Dry: A Memoir
Kick the Drink… Easily!
Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol
Sober Curious
The Alcohol Experiment: A 30-Day, Alcohol-Free Challenge to Interrupt Your Habits
The Compass of Pleasure
The Easy Way to Control Alcohol
The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath
The Sober Diaries: How One Woman Stopped Drinking and Started Living
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober
This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol
We Are the Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life
Podcasts
- Dopey: On the Dark Comedy of Drug Addiction
Raw, honest stories of drug addiction and recovery.
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- Sober Powered: The Neuroscience of Being Sober
Gill Tietz on the neuroscience of alcohol and why quitting is hard.
- Take 12 Recovery Radio Network
Monty Reece interviews people in recovery from addiction.
- That Sober Guy Podcast
Shane Ramer on sobriety, recovery, and living alcohol-free.
- The Addicted Mind Podcast
Conversations on addiction, recovery, and the science behind them.
- The Bubble Hour
Honest conversations about alcohol use disorder and recovery.
- The Rich Roll Podcast
Deep conversations on wellness, recovery, and personal transformation.
- This Naked Mind Podcast
Annie Grace on rethinking your relationship with alcohol.
- Untoxicated Podcast
Candid conversations about alcohol, sobriety, and recovery.
Research (32)
- Role of diet in hyperuricemia and gout Danve et al. (2021)
- Gut microbiome, liver immunology, and liver diseases Ma et al. (2021)
- Acupuncture for Pain Management: Molecular Mechanisms of Action Chen et al. (2020)
- Evaluation of the bacterial burden of gel nails, standard nail polish, and natural nails on the hands of health care workers Hewlett et al. (2018)
- Synaptic targets: Chronic alcohol actions Roberto et al. (2017)
- Metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors as potential targets for the treatment of alcohol use disorder Alasmari et al. (2017)
- Congenital Heart Disease: Causes, Diagnosis, Symptoms, and Treatments Zhang et al. (2015)
- Toward a biosignature for suicide Oquendo et al. (2014)
- Molecular imaging in alcohol dependence Ravan et al. (2014)
- Alcohol withdrawal seizures Hughes (2009)
- Opioids and alcoholism Oswald et al. (2004)
- Addiction Lingford-Hughes et al. (2003)
- Ethanol, GABA and epilepsy Brailowsky et al. (1999)
- Principles of synaptic transmission Moore (1993)
- [GABA and alcohol] Malka et al. (1987)
Links
Recovery resources
Help for alcohol use and recovery. Not an endorsement or medical advice — see all recovery resources.
SAMHSA National Helpline (US)
A free, confidential, 24/7 US treatment-referral and information line for individuals and families facing substance use or mental health disorders.
Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families (ACA/ACoA)
A 12-step program for adults who grew up in alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional homes and want to heal the lasting effects.
Al-Anon Family Groups
Mutual support for the families and friends of alcoholics, whether or not the drinker seeks help.
A part of Al-Anon for teenagers whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking.
Families Anonymous (FA)
A 12-step fellowship for the relatives and friends of people affected by drug abuse or related behavioral problems.
Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA)
A 12-step fellowship for people managing both a substance addiction and a co-occurring mental illness.
- Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)
The original 12-step fellowship, where people recovering from alcoholism support one another in staying sober.
- Celebrate Recovery
A Christ-centered 12-step program for people working through addictions and other hurts, habits, and hang-ups.
SMART Recovery
A secular, science-based recovery program using cognitive-behavioral tools for any addictive behavior.
Community
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