ingredient in alcohol

[boxer08]

Does anyone know what the exact ingredient or ingredient's are that are responsible for damaging the liver?

[kfrost06]

alcohol causes the liver to become fatty and this fat infiltration chokes off the supply of blood that delivers oxygen and other nutrients to liver cells causing them to eventually die. They are replaced with connective or scar tissue and this is called cirrhosis.

[kfrost06]

Some products generated during alcohol metabolism (e.g., acetaldehyde) are more toxic than alcohol itself. In addition, a group of metabolic products called free radicals can damage liver cells and promote inflammation, impairing vital functions such as energy production. The body's natural defenses against free radicals (e.g., antioxidants) can be inhibited by alcohol consumption, leading to increased liver damage.

Bacteria that live in the human intestine play a key role in the initiation of ALD. Alcohol consumption increases the passage of a noxious bacterial product called endotoxin through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Upon reaching the liver, endotoxin activates specialized cells (i.e., Kupffer cells) that monitor the blood for signs of infection. These cells respond to the presence of endotoxin by releasing substances called cytokines that regulate the inflammatory process. Alcohol consumption increases cytokine levels, and cytokines in humans produce symptoms similar to those of alcoholic hepatitis. Studies implicate cytokines in scar formation and in the ***letion of oxygen within liver cells, processes that are associated with cirrhosis.

[dupa95]

great post!!!!! thank you