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Alcohol, Drugs and Weight Gain or Loss: What the Research Says

Comprehensive, Evidence-based Guide to Effects of Drugs and Alcohol on Weight Gain or Loss

According to the American Psychiatric Association, substance abuse is the excessive use of substances, including alcohol and drugs, that cause an individual to suffer from clinical impairments as well as the dramatic loss of academic, professional, and social skills [1].

Substance abuse also dramatically alters the diet and in most cases, it leads to irregular eating patterns and poor nutrition. As a result, previously healthy adolescents and adults may begin to experience significant health problems shortly after the substance abuse begins.

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This guide will describe the negative effects that substance abuse can have on weight and how fluctuations in weight can lead to serious health problems.

Substance abuse affects metabolism

Metabolism refers to the way the body breaks down food and uses it for nutrients and energy. Cells throughout the body must receive adequate amounts of nutrients, including sugar in the form of glucose to use for energy, growth, and repair from damage. Poor diet and nutrition, which often occurs secondarily to substance abuse, can lead to brain damage, organ damage, and different types of diseases [2, 3].

The body cannot store alcohol, so once it is consumed it is quickly broken down to facilitate excretion from the body. Alcohol does not contain any nutrients, but it does contain ‘empty’ calories that often make people feel as if they are full, especially if they consume large quantities of it. Large amounts of alcohol damage the intestinal tract, which then decreases the body’s ability to absorb and utilize vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from the food that is eaten [4].

Amino acids, in particular, are an essential source of nutrients that are contained in protein-rich foods. Amino acids are distributed throughout the body in order to boost energy production, cell growth and repair. High levels of alcohol in the body cause both the intestines and the liver to assign precious cellular resources to the removal of alcohol. This prevents nutrients, such as amino acids, from being properly utilized by the body. In a healthy body, an assortment of amino acids and other nutrients are needed to avoid organ damage and disease. Prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption interferes with these processes.

High levels of alcohol in the blood may also slow down processes in the body such as digestion, which would normally stimulate the release of vitamins, minerals, sugar, and amino acids from foods so that they can be used by cells for proper growth, development and repair.

Alcohol disrupts liver function

Alcohol abuse speeds up metabolism due to the fact that the liver has to work hard to break down the alcohol and remove it from the body [3]. However, this hinders the liver from breaking down carbohydrates and releasing nutrients, such as glucose (sugar), for cells throughout the body.

The liver also stores excess glucose as fat that can be used as an energy source when it is needed. Unfortunately, when the liver has large amounts of alcohol to process due to alcohol abuse, it does not release the stored glucose and instead begins to swell. When fat cells accumulate in the liver due to alcohol abuse, a phenomenon known as alcoholic steatohepatitis may also develop. This condition may be asymptomatic during the early stages of liver damage, but flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting and a loss of appetite usually occur during the late stage of liver damage [5].

Liver damage causes specific enzymes such as bilirubin to be released into the blood and alcoholic steatohepatitis is typically diagnosed if a physician detects elevated levels of liver enzymes in the blood. Once this condition has been diagnosed, there is a high risk of dying due to liver failure [5].

In addition, the alcohol that is processed by the liver releases toxic substances which activate the immune system, causing it to produce proteins that seek to destroy these substances. However, the accumulation of the toxins that are released from the alcohol along with the buildup of proteins that work toward removing the toxins from the body cause inflammation [6], especially when alcohol is consumed regularly.

Although the body attempts to quickly remove the toxins from the body, if a person chronically abuses alcohol these dangerous substances continue to accumulate and begin to affect cells in various organs. This leads to liver, kidney, heart and brain damage, among other problems such as atherosclerosis [6].

"The absence of symptoms often makes people think that their alcohol abuse is not causing them any physical harm, but this is usually not the actual case."

In some people, it takes decades for liver damage that has been caused by alcohol abuse to present physical symptoms. The absence of symptoms often makes people think that their alcohol abuse is not causing them any physical harm, but this is usually not the actual case. Early signs of liver damage or disease include: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and fatigue. Sometimes these types of symptoms may be mistaken for other health problems such as a stomach bug or virus, but for people who abuse alcohol it may actually be the first sign of liver damage.

Signs and symptoms that occur when liver damage has reached the late stage include:

• Loss of appetite
• Jaundice or yellow skin
• Weakness
• Extreme fatigue
• Pruritus (Itchy skin)
• Skin that bruises easily
• Swelling of the abdomen, legs or ankles
• Portal hypertension
• Ascites (peritoneal fluid accumulation)
• Intestinal bleeding
• Cirrhosis (permanent liver damage)
• Liver cancer

Getting treatment for alcohol abuse and dramatically decreasing the amount of alcohol that is consumed can help reverse the early stages of liver damage. Moreover, if liver damage reaches a late stage, refraining from drinking alcohol will slow the progression of the damage.

References

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About the Author

Dr. Karen Vieira, PhD MSM

Dr. Vieira is a research scientist with a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Florida College of Medicine Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. She has done clinical and laboratory research on diseases, cellular functioning and nutritional supplements. Her focus is helping people make dietary and lifestyle changes that prevent, cure or improve health conditions.