Alcohol is soluble in both water and fat, and is easily absorbed by the body. The body recognizes alcohol’s toxicity and attempts to rid the body of it by oxidizing it. This oxidation takes place in the liver where the enzymes that detoxify alcohol are found. Unfortunately, alcohol abuse develops quickly; with most alcoholics starting as social drinkers but quickly transitioning to alcoholics. Alcoholics then live with with the damage that alcohol inflicts on the liver where it is metabolized and the negative changes in the brain caused by alcohol toxicity.
Alcohol Addiction Keeps Alcohol Metabolites Concentration in the Body High
Alcohol is metabolized to acetaldehyde in the liver. One of the byproducts of this oxidation, NADH also needs to undergo a series of reaction pathways to convert it back into its original form. The result is the production of lactic acid. The lactic acid build-up may result in acidosis. The excess NADH can be used in the making of fat and could result in an alcoholic initially exhibiting unhealthy weight gain. The excess NADH can also go into the reaction that is used to make energy. These excesses take away from the NADH that the body normally produces causing a backlog of sorts. The backlog causes an increase in fat (lipids) in the blood which could lead to heart attacks.
Alcohol Effects on Metabolism
Once acetaldehyde is metabolized from alcohol it is converted to acetic acid. As the alcoholic continues to consume large amounts of alcohol, acetic acid levels increase in the liver. The acid eventually enters the blood stream. In the blood stream, the acetic acid interferes with mitochondrial function within the cells which in turn affects the conversion of acetaldehyde to acetic acid (the original reaction). This increases acetaldehyde concentration which damages the liver.
Acetaldehyde and Alcohol Abuse
An alcohol problem can sometimes result in alcohol abuse and eventually lead to alcohol addiction. One way an individual may become addicted to alcohol could be the result of acetaldehyde’s effect on the brain. Acetaldehyde interferes with the conversion of certain nerve transmitters which in turn affects normal brain function. The acetaldehydes and the excess neurotransmitters combine to create compounds that mimic the neurotransmitter’s pleasurable effect which inadvertently reinforces alcohol abuse.
Using Drugs in Alcohol Abuse Treatment
Alcohol addiction treatment includes the use of compounds that are proven to lower the acetaldehyde concentrations in the body and in the brain. These compounds can break the craving cycle caused by the acetaldehyde in brain. Other alcohol addiction treatment compounds used treat the related deficiencies caused by alcohol abuse. One such compound is niacin which has been shown to decrease acetaldehyde concentrations in the brain. However, the use of these compounds may also be counterproductive; acetaldehyde is responsible for the hangover after alcohol consumption which can act as a drinking deterrent. Some of the drugs like Antabuse use the buildup of acetaldehyde as a way to deter an alcoholic from drinking more alcohol. When a medication removes acetaldehydes creating a situation where there are no negative repercussions to alcohol drinking such as no hangovers, an alcoholic abuser may continue to drink.
The body cannot use alcohol positively. In its attempt to rid the body of the drug, normal body systems are compromised. The body can manage alcohol when it is drunk in moderation but in the case of alcohol abuse the body’s attempts to rid itself of the drug can create irreversible damage.
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