As a counselor for other women, I am realizing (daily!) how my commitment to health and vitality runs up against my love for a wild time.

I have found that one of the greatest challenges to healing digestive, mental and hormonal disorders is our own love for alcohol. It warms us up. It feels like a big old hug. It relaxes the nervous system. And it really messes us up!

The Alcohol Warning from Ayurveda

The ancient Ayurvedic texts warn that alcohol is considered a toxin. It provides a list of strict rules for the consumption of alcohol and states strongly that if alcohol is taken, strict rules apply, and only then should it be consumed.

A medicine properly used becomes nectar and improperly used becomes poison.

Ayurveda makes it very clear that alcohol is a poison, unless it is taken in the appropriate amount, time and place. It is always remarkable to read the Ayurvedic texts, as the wisdom is unequalled in terms of the broadness of thinking. Ayurveda makes it very clear that unless one follows strictly the rules of alcohol intake, it will create misery. If those strict rules are applied, then it has benefit.

Modern Research on Mind-Body Damage

Long-term use of alcohol in excessive quantities is capable of damaging nearly every organ and system in the body.

Ethanol, the main type of alcohol in beverages, acts as a central nervous system depressant and has psychoactive effects in small amounts. Cell membranes are highly permeable to alcohol, so once alcohol is in the bloodstream it can diffuse into nearly every biological tissue of the body. Based on its abilities to change the human consciousness, ethanol is classified as a psychoactive drug.

The effects of alcohol on humans have been well researched and documented. Alcohol consumption at low or moderate doses acts primarily as a modulator of the neurotransmitter GABA. Activation of GABA receptors causes experiences such as relaxation, relief from anxiety, sedation, ataxia, increase in appetite, lowering of inhibitions and in some people violent behavior.

Recent research in the US presented at an international conference suggests that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol increases the risks that range from mild cognitive impairment to full-blown dementia. The risk was higher in those who drank more than a moderate dose. Those involved in the study who reported drinking in moderation – that is, 7 to 14 drinks a week – developed problems with memory and brain functioning that are seen as precursors to dementia.

Sources:

Dorn JM, Hovey K, Williams BA, Freudenheim JL, Russell M, Nochajski TH, Trevisan M (May 2007). "Alcohol drinking pattern and non-fatal myocardial infarction in women". Addiction 102 (5): 730–9. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2007.01765.x. PMID 17506150.

Fillmore KM, Kerr WC, Stockwell T, Chikritzhs T, Bostrom A (April 2006). "Moderate alcohol use and reduced mortality risk: Systematic error in prospective studies". Addict Res Theory 14 (2): 101–132. doi:10.1080/16066350500497983.

Russell, Sabin (2010-08-28). "UCSF points out flaw in studies tying alcohol to heart health". The San Francisco Chronicle.