The noxious and pernicious effects of drinking wine on human body

Feb 01, 2017

Scientists continue to uncover new dimensions of the harmful effects of alcoholic beverages.

By Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa

Consumption of alcohol has been a problem in Uganda and has led to anumber of problems including loss of lives on roads. I have been researching on the dangers of consuming alcoholic drinks and here I share some of them.

Where as many steps have been taken to control the consumption of alcohol such as arresting all those found drunk while driving and of late even the pedestrians; besides the recent debates to ban wine/alcoholic sackets and regulation of hours when to stop selling and drinking alcohol. All these restrictions are a treatment of symptoms and not the actual alcoholism; since lack of comprehensive awareness of the effects of drinking wine/ alcohol on the human body.

Scientists continue to uncover new dimensions of the harmful effects of alcoholic beverages. From time immemorial, scholars have identified and witnessed the devastating effects of this harmful substance. The drinking of wine is one of the forbidden activities, along with gambling, the dedication of stones and divination described in the Qur'an as being connected with the works of the Devil. (Q5:90).

Drinking alcohol beverages continues to attract the earnest attention of students and researchers, in particular for its many harmful effects on the individual, on families and on society. Wine and similar beverages belong to a large family of chemicals, organic compounds generally known as alcohols. Chemical textbooks describe them as colourless liquid poisons. They are flammable, evaporate quickly, have a pungent taste and are easily dissolved in water or oils.

The detrimental effects of wine-drinking appear on many tissues of the body. No organ is safe from its damaging effects. No sooner does a drinker take a swallow of wine than the molecules settle in the stomach and the small intestine. After this the molecules pass quickly into the blood stream which carries this poison to the various organs of the body. This deadly poison eventually arrives throughout the body without exception. It has been observed that the concentration of alcohol on the body is directly proportional to its concentration in the blood. This means that the concentration, along with its damaging effects, is not diluted, or weakened as it is transported from tissue to tissue, from one organ to another.

The blood circulatory system of the body carries the alcoholic beverage from the stomach to the intestines then towards the liver, from there to the heart where it is pumped to the lungs, to the brain and all the other organs of the body. It finally exits the body by being exhaled by the lungs, or eliminated in the urine. It is also eliminated through the sweat glands, the tear ducts and also expressed in the milk of nursing mothers.

The effects of wine drinking show themselves on all the tissues of the digestive system beginning with the mouth. There it increases the incidence of inflammation of the tongue, a condition known as "glossistis". This condition reduces the body's ability to absorb vitamin B. Other symptoms of this condition are difficulty in swallowing, malnutrition, a trophy of the taste buds of the tongue resulting in a weakening of the sense of taste.

Alcohol stimulates the gastric glands of the stomach to secrete increased quantities of acidic gastric fluids. This consequently puts stress on the stomach resulting in peptic ulcers. The drinker may also be afflicted with acute inflammation of the stomach lining, known as "gastritis", leading to bleeding in the digestive tract. Other complaints are loss of appetite, digestive discomfort, diarrhea, intestinal pain, vomit mixed with blood, nausea and excessive belching. These all result from the repeated irritation and inflammation of the linings of the digestive tract.

A popular misconception claims that alcohol is a source of indispensable nutrients that give the body energy. In fact alcohol leaches the body of important elements, minerals, vitamins and proteins. It also inhibits the body's ability to absorb elements and nutrients, minerals, vitamins and proteins. Although it leads to a temporally illusion of strengthen and warmth, this pleasurable perception is a false illusion that is followed by a sense of profound regret and loss. Alcohol facilitates the absorption of other noxious elements such as oils and cholesterol, which are absorbed through the cells lining the intestines. This results in the increase levels of these oils in the blood, which threatens the health of the heart and the entire vascular system.

Scientific research continues to document the effect of drinking alcoholic beverages on the health of the heart and the vascular system. It is widely known that this causes an increase in the rate, a phenomenon known as "palpitation". It also plays a role in raising the blood pressure, known as "hypertension" and causes the blood vessels near the surface of the skin to become engorged in an unnatural way giving the appearance of a red congestion due to the stagnant accumulation of blood.

Comparative studies have shown the occurrence of sudden death amongst wine drinkers. This appears to be caused by a combination of the weakening of the heart muscles " cardiomyopathy", the disruption of the rhythm of the heart beat" Dysrhythmia" and the constricting of the coronary arteries.

There are many other ways in which alcoholic beverages can weaken the health of the heart. These include an increase in the level of cholesterol and triglycerides. These then play a role in the hardening of the walls of the arteries and gradually constricting their lumen, thus limiting the supply of nourishment provided by the blood flow. This is known in medical publications as "infarction and ischemia."

Alcohol reduces the effectiveness and weakens the strengthen heart muscles. This results in a lowering of the hearts ability to pump blood through the body. It attacks the tissues of muscle fibers leading to their decay and "degeneration." It also reduces the vitality of the muscle enzymes. Alcohol is one of the principal causes of the liver. It is the cause of many destructive metabolic effects to the cells of the liver. This is known in the medical literature as "fatty liver disease." This gives rise to swelling and increased mass and subsequently afflicts the liver two conditions as "cirrhosis" and "fibrosis". These transform the healthy tissues of the liver into an unhealthy tissue of no benefit.

 The effects of wine are sometimes paradoxical. On one hand, for instance, in the regulation of blood sugar level, it leads to the inability of the liver to store sugar thus creating a depletion of sugar in that organ. On the other hand it raises the blood sugar level in the blood contributing to the condition known as diabetes.

Alcohol is also considered amongst the most addictive substances. It causes severe inflammation of the pancreas. This manifest with symptoms of severe intestinal pain known as "pancreatitis". Other symptoms of this condition include bleeding and decay of the pancreatic cells known as "necrosis."

Alcohol also has a destructive effect on the glands of the reproductive system. Prolonged drinking eventually lead to sexual dysfunction and finally to infertility. Habitual male drinkers are prone to experience atrophy of their testes, a drop in the level of the male hormone, a reduction in production of semen cells. Men also experience an increase in the production of the female hormone "Estrogen", which leads the body to exit female characteristics such as enlargement of the breast and loss of body hair. The drinking of alcohol is no less disruptive to the female reproductive system. The ovaries become emaciated, the menstrual cycles are disrupted and the incidence of spontaneous abortion increases. Breast tissue is damaged resulting in a loss of mother's ability to produce breast milk.

Alcohol increases the body's flow of liquid through the urinary tract resulting in a significant loss of water and beneficial minerals. This leads to a dryness of the tissues of the internal organs and the corresponding loss of nutrious minerals. The organs of the urinary tract of the habitual drinker are also afflicted with "Atrophy" and fibrosis as well as stones that develop as accretions in various organs from the oily sediment. These stones are then themselves the cause of many other ailments.

Wines targets those areas of the brain which are essential for life functions such as memory, speech, conduct and movement. The addiction to alcohol disrupts the functions of the cerebellum which regulates our sense of balance. It causes loss of motor skills and speech skills. Thus someone who is drunk cannot walk properly, often cannot stand straight, staggering and swaying.

In addition to above, the habitual drinker also suffers from tremors and neuropathy a condition where the brain is disposed towards a form of disintegration. The cells and the nerves appear to dissolve the use of X- ray equipment reveals this loss of this brain mass. Alcohol constricts the blood vessels that supply essential oxygen to the brain. This could result in spontaneous bleeding, which may lead to death. Excessive drinking leads to a condition where the patient loses into what is known as a stupor." He loses his ability to respond to external stimuli. The five senses no longer function. A coma or even death may ensue.

Habitual drinkers experience a painful condition of the joints known as gout. This leads to inflammation of the joints and chronic constipation. The patient experiences extreme pain and deformation of joints. The bones become weak because alcohol leaches the nutrients necessary for healthy bone structure. They become more susceptible to breaking and to the conditions of fragility known as osteoprosis and a softening of the bone matter known as osteomalacia.

Alcohol weakens the platelets and reduces their recuperative influence. The blood vessels become fragile and easily damaged leading in many cases to excessive bleeding. Alcohol also contributes to the growth of cancer cells. The toxic molecules of alcoholic such as polycyclic hydrocarbons, aspergillums and nitrosamines insert themselves into the healthy cells of the body.

Alcohol is no less damaging to the drinker's personality than it is to their body. Alcohol damages the brain cortex which degenerates bit by bit. This brings about disjointed speech and illusory visions. The drinker loses his sense of shame and often times suffers from a loss of memory, depression, distress, insomnia and in the worst of cases, this leads the patient to suicide in order to escape his painful condition.

Finally, the consequences of strong drink on other organs of the body; there is hardly any tissue in any part of the body that is not affected by the harm brought about by addiction to this pernicious fluid. We have only mentioned some of the many disorders. There is also the damage to the eyes, due to the degeneration of the optic nerve. This may cause the onset of sudden blindness or one of many other conditions.

Inflammation of the pharynx leads to pharyngitis which impedes an individual's speech ability. The teeth can be prone to decay which can lead to ulcers in the mouth and inflammation of the salivary glands. The constituent elements of alcohol have the ability to cross the placenta quickly transiting from the mother to the fetus. The mother will often experience a spontaneous abortion or may find that foetus afflicted with growth retardation. If they come to term the children of these mothers will experience congenital deformities such as reduction in the mass of the head, feebleness of the ears, fragility of the valves of the heart and of the bones. The child will often be the victim of mental retardation.

Islam succeeded in bringing a great blessing to society when it called for the prohibition of wine and warned people against its use many years before the scholars of the west became aware of it and began their struggle against it.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) lived in an age when most people were fond of drinking wine. Who could have taught him the lethal effects of alcohol on the body? Who guided him to shun this noxious and offensive evil? This could only have been inspired by the creator of this body. How wonderful it would be for the one whom summons the people to Islam to be able to stand before them with sound mind and a healthy body as living proof of the dangers of wine, thus vindicating the salutary nature and character of the teachings of Islam.

The writer is the Second Deputy Mufti of Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, the Imam of Makerere University Business School and a national population champion and executive board member of the Interreligious Council of Uganda

 

 

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