Harm of beer and beer alcoholism. The effect of beer on the body

The history of making and drinking beer dates back several millennia. It was made in ancient China and Sumer, Egypt and Greece. It is mentioned in Novgorod birch bark documents. Beer was brewed from wheat and barley, rye and millet, rice and fruits. In medieval Europe, the monks significantly advanced the technology of brewing, introduced hops into the recipe.

In modern Russia, beer consumption, according to various estimates, ranges from 30 to 40 percent of the total amount of alcohol (in the volume pure alcohol). In recent years, there has been a positive trend in our country to reduce the amount of alcohol consumed, including beer. Increasingly, people are looking for an answer to the question: "If I drink beer every day, how to quit?"

What is beer

Beer is an alcoholic beverage that ethanol is formed during the fermentation of wort (specially prepared aqueous solution substances of vegetable raw materials or malt). Requirements for raw materials, physical and chemical parameters and beer production technologies are subject to regulation by a system of national and interstate standards.

The standards in force in Russia indicate that ethyl alcohol should not be added when making beer. The volumetric alcohol content of beer ranges from 2 to 8 percent. The so-called "non-alcoholic beer" also contains alcohol, but its proportion does not exceed 0.5%. Thus, it is quite appropriate to ask the question: "How much beer can you drink without harming your health?"

What does official medicine say?

Drinking alcohol is an integral part European culture. At different peoples stable traditions of drinking were formed, associated with all kinds of rituals and ceremonies, as well as with everyday gastronomic habits. On the other hand, medical studies point to the unconditional harm of alcohol to the human body. In order not to rush to extremes, she proposed the so-called permissible norms for the use of alcoholic beverages.

These norms used the concept of a standard dose of alcohol, which was 10 grams. On average, this corresponded to 250 ml of beer. Drinking alcohol no more than twice a week in the amount of up to 2 drinks per day was considered acceptable. If, for example, more than 40 grams of alcohol per day, then it was considered harmful. It would seem that the answer to the question: "Can I drink beer?" - received. However, due to the increase in the incidence of alcoholism and alcohol-related diseases, the WHO European Committee has formulated recommendations to reduce alcohol consumption. At the same time, the thesis was put forward that it cannot be in principle. What prompted such a radical approach?

How excessive beer consumption affects the heart

Beer contains substances that cause a relaxing intoxicating effect. Therefore, regular consumption of beer leads not only to alcohol addiction, but also to the perception of it as a sedative. Someone might say: "So what? I drink beer every day!" The consequences of such an attitude can be very deplorable. After a certain time without beer, it becomes difficult to calm down and relax. The frequency of consumption and the amount of drink consumed are growing, and alcoholic excesses occur. First of all, the cardiovascular system is under attack.

Beer is quickly absorbed by the body, creating the effect of filling blood vessels. After several years of regular beer consumption, varicose veins develop, arrhythmia develops, and the risk of coronary disease increases. The heart itself becomes flabby, its walls coarsen and thicken.

There is a term "beer heart" - this is a syndrome of enlargement of the heart observed on radiographic examination, which over time can lead to heart failure and, as a result, an increase in the likelihood of death from stroke.

Other organs

Beer contains elements of fermentation. Together with alcohol, they form an aggressive irritant. digestive tract. Oversaturation occurs carbon dioxide, significantly stretches the stomach. There is an effect " beer belly". The mucous membrane is reborn, digestion worsens. The activity of the pancreas is disrupted. There is a danger of chronic alcoholic gastritis.

The gradual accumulation of alcohol has a damaging effect on the liver. Experts note the danger of hepatitis, which can occur in a latent form.

Not less than dangerous influence exerts excessive consumption of beer on the kidneys. They begin to work in high load mode. Flushing out of the body important trace elements. Violated water and acid-base balance. The kidneys themselves decrease in size over time.

Women who drink excessive beer for several years have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

All this inevitably leads to thoughts: "I drink beer every day ... How to quit?"

Features of the impact of beer on men

Many people like to drink beer in the evening after work. The benefits and harms for men of this habit, of course, depend on the regularity and amount of consumption of the drink. Medicine strongly recommends minimizing the intake of any alcohol, including beer.

In men who regularly drink more than 0.5 liters of beer per day, a decrease in the production of male hormones is observed over time. The raw materials used in the preparation of beer contain substances that are analogues of female sex hormones. Getting into the male body in excess, they cause changes in the endocrine system. Feminization begins male body. Outwardly, this is manifested in an increase in fat reserves on the hips and sides, an increase in the mammary glands, and an expansion of the pelvis. There is a decrease in sexual function and sexual desire. And if you take into account the weight gain that is inevitable with the frequent use of beer, it becomes obvious the need to find an answer to the question: "How is the beer in the evenings?"

The phenomenon of beer alcoholism

There is an opinion that alcoholism is a disease associated with the use of strong alcoholic beverages. "Is drinking beer every day - is it alcoholism? It's - liquid bread!" - so, unfortunately, foam lovers think.

Many consider beer to be a harmless relaxing drink. It is widely advertised, relatively affordable, and has a low cost. Its use does not require any occasion or the creation of a special atmosphere for a feast. It is everyday routine that creates the prerequisite for an uncritical attitude to the quantity and regularity of beer consumption, contributes to the formation of mental and physiological dependence. The taste and soothing properties of beer do not create the proper motivation to fight cravings for it, as, for example, in cases overconsumption vodka. Instead of saying to yourself: "I drink beer every day! How to quit?", a person imperceptibly loses his will and vigilance.

Meanwhile, regular consumption of beer is accompanied by a gradual increase in the amount of ethyl alcohol entering the body. Alcoholic toxins gradually accumulate in the cells, the depth of poisoning increases. As a result, after some time, beer alcoholism develops, which very often becomes chronic. Anyone who has been drinking 3 liters of beer every day for a long time needs treatment from a narcologist.

Features of the fight against beer alcoholism

Beer alcoholism is classified as a severe variant of alcoholism. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the victims themselves rarely seek help from a narcologist or psychiatrist. As a rule, they are patients of cardiologists, they complain about the kidneys, liver and stomach. But the root cause of all these disorders is precisely the excessive consumption of beer, which has developed over time into a stable addiction.

Such people need to be persuaded to undergo treatment for addiction, because they do not consider themselves alcoholics. Relatives play an important role in this. If you began to notice that your husband began to drink more than one liter of beer every day, gets irritated at his absence, got a beer belly, cannot relax without a bottle of foam, it's time to take decisive action. Of course, it is best to immediately contact a specialist. But sometimes, for various reasons, it is very difficult to persuade a person to go to a narcologist.

How to help a loved one

First of all, the problem needs to be voiced. For such a conversation, you need to carefully prepare. Study the articles, choose the right moment. The focus should not be on a complete ban on drinking beer - the benefits and harms for men of drinking beer should be explained in detail in the context of the inadmissibility of drinking too often.

You need to find out the beer. Try planning your next weekend or after work together. Change the scenery, take your time with something interesting. If health permits, you can try to play sports together. If it's about the company, you need to come up with an excuse to meet less often with beer lovers. If the situation has gone far, you need to create motivation for visiting a doctor. It can be positive, connected, for example, with the tasks of self-improvement, improving health and family relationships. You can also apply negative motivation associated with possible losses in the event of continuing such a lifestyle.

How to help yourself

If at some point you feel that the usual bottle of beer no longer brings the same pleasure, if, waking up in the morning with a heavy head and a swollen face, you thought: “I drink beer every day - how to quit?”, Then the time has come, without delay , to begin a new life! The main thing is to create the necessary psychological attitude and make a strong-willed decision to follow a new way of life. After all, everything eventually becomes boring, and beer is no exception. Of course, it is difficult to immediately give up the usual drink. But you can try to introduce a certain ritual of drinking beer, for example, only on weekends and no more than a glass for a specially prepared dish.

It is important to think over the means of self-control, all kinds of motivators. You may be able to find good reasons why you should give up alcohol altogether. For example, buying a car or wanting to spend more time with your family. You need to understand that it is not a bottle of beer that should rule your life, but you yourself.

If you feel that you are not coping with the situation, consult a doctor. Do not hesitate to ask for help in the fight against your addiction until it has caused irreparable harm to your health and life.

What difficulties may arise

If you've been a regular beer drinker for quite some time, be prepared to face some problems if you stop drinking beer. It must be understood that the use of alcohol generates physiological and psychological dependence. This is especially true for beer, since its use has a relaxing and slightly dulling effect.

Possible troubles can be conditionally divided into psychological problems and physiological disturbances in the functioning of organs. You will have to give up many habits, change, learn to cope with mood swings. At the same time, due to the cessation of alcohol intake into the body, insomnia, trembling of the limbs, headaches and muscle pains may occur. All this will have to be overcome by willpower. In the case when the situation is serious and neglected, the refusal of alcohol should take place under the supervision of a doctor and be accompanied by medical assistance.

Conclusion

With all the dangers that excessive drinking threatens, it must still be recognized that it is not beer that is to blame for the fact that individuals consume it too often and too much. Beer - delicious and in a way useful product if treated with due understanding.

Studies have shown that beer contains a lot of beneficial trace elements and vitamins. Some experts argue that with moderate and occasional beer consumption, it can carry positive effect. Do not discount the gastronomic traditions of a particular area. But the problem is that the answer to the question of whether it is possible to drink beer and how much it can be consumed is purely individual. And if you treat it responsibly, you can always make the right, independent choice.

It is a very popular alcoholic drink among all ages. But few people pay attention to the fact that this natural drink consists of a large number of compounds, such as water (91-93%), carbohydrates (1.5-4.5%), ethyl alcohol (3-7%) and nitrogen-containing substances (0.2-0.65%). And many others that are not so significant.

The most interesting thing is that you can not drink enough beer to die if you drink only it. Although in the twenty-first century, types of beer began to appear in which alcohol content reaches 12% or more. With the constant use of such beer, serious health problems can arise.

The worst thing about beer is that beer alcoholism appears completely unnoticed, compared, for example, with vodka. The most strongly beer alcoholism is developed in Germany, in the homeland of intoxicating drinks. Even German officials who confessed to their weakness said that they became stupid, lazy and powerless (and powerlessness is not only in the muscles). Also, non-alcoholic beer can be very misleading, as it also has an alcohol percentage. Therefore, when a person tries to cope with alcoholism with such non-alcoholic beer, then in 9 cases out of 10 he breaks down even more. And it is necessary to treat beer alcoholism, as well as the usual one.

The mistake of most people is that it is considered the appearance of a “beer belly” from beer. This is a deeply erroneous opinion. In beer, as in other alcoholic beverages, there are substances that affect the centers of hunger, and therefore you want to eat. The stomach appears from a simple overeating. A fascinating fact is that beer itself has fewer calories than milk or grape juice.

Beer consumption figures are frightening: in Ukraine and Russia, 65 liters of beer are drunk per person per year. And this number is growing every day.

Fans of beer drinks, including those in our countries, prove that beer has a beneficial effect on the body in small doses. As if helping to reduce cardiovascular disease. But most research proves that this is a misconception. For example, back in 1999, it was proved that people who did not take a large number of alcohol, did not show any change in the trend towards mortality compared with completely abstainers. But for people who drank about 7 liters of beer a week, the chance of dying from a stroke was twice as high as for non-drinkers.

We must also remember that any alcohol can lead to fainting. In addition, alcohol can cause weakness in the body, dizziness may begin, but this will not be due to intoxication, but due to the expansion of blood vessels. Also, when drinking beer, it becomes possible to get varicose veins and enlargement of the heart - the so-called "beer heart" - which leads to flabbiness of the heart muscle and inhibition of the functions of the living motor of the heart. Nowadays, to save money, cobalt compounds are added to beer for greater foaming. Such compounds add the risk of occurrence.

Few people know that drinking beer, due to hops, which contain soft and hard resins, there is an increased risk of colon cancer. Although even in the good old books, hops are considered beneficial for the body.

Also, not the most pleasant facts about beer speak of sexual changes in the body. With the constant use of beer in men, the release of testosterone is suppressed and instead of the male hormone, female hormones are produced. As a consequence of this, in men, breasts appear and the pelvis expands. And in women with frequent use, there is a greater likelihood of getting cancer. At the same time, women, like men, undergo a replacement of hormones: subsequently, mustaches grow and the voice coarsens. It is forbidden for a nursing mother to drink beer, as the child may have epileptic seizures.

We must realize that the impact on human health beer is huge. Because of such a simple drink, brain cells die and many body functions are disrupted, and there are many other, sometimes incurable diseases.

Therefore, it is strongly advised not to drink beer at all or to drink in the most minimal quantities.

Many people think that beer is pretty harmless. alcoholic drink. However, scientists who study the problem of alcoholism say that it is impossible to separate alcoholic drinks according to their harmfulness. In fact, none of them are harmless.

Producers of beer impose advertising on society, which is aimed at increasing its sales. She claims that beer is a low-alcohol drink and even healthy. But it's not. Some beers have a high alcohol content. It reaches 14%, almost like in wines. In the Soviet Union, the strength of beer was only 1.5 - 2.8%.

Drinking people do not consider "beer alcoholism" such a serious disease as "vodka" or "wine". But in vain. After all, its consequences for the body are much more destructive.

Symptoms and signs of beer alcoholism

The development of beer alcoholism is slower than its other types. Dependence on beer has its own characteristics and this allows us to consider it a separate type of alcohol addiction.

And although gambrinism (from the Latin gambrinismus- beer alcoholism) among physicians is considered not entirely correct, and such a diagnosis has not yet been made to anyone, but nevertheless this term is quite often used in the media. Narcologists dislike the expression "beer alcoholism" because, by analogy, wine, vodka and cognac addictions should be distinguished. And yet, some scientists argue that gambrinism is a special form of alcoholism.

The basic principle of the development of dependence on beer is “long and almost imperceptible”. A person who consumes no more than 2 bottles of beer a day does not feel any special changes in his condition. Just pleasant relaxation. However, behind his short periods lies real alcoholism. It reinforces in the brain an irresistible desire to experience this state on a daily basis and leads to frequent drinking of beer.

Signs characteristic of beer alcoholism are:

• Drinking beer in the morning to get rid of a hangover.
• Insomnia at night and.
• Regular (every day) consumption of beer at least 1 liter.
• Inability to relax without stimulants.
• Aggression during periods of forced sobriety, irritability during the disruption of planned drinks.
• An increase in the abdomen, which is often called beer.

If at first a person does not drink beer every day, then later he wants to drink more and more often. foamy drink. It ends with the fact that the drinker is unable to refuse his daily use. The dose of the drunk potion is increased many times over. In very severe cases, an alcoholic can consume up to 15 liters of drink per day.

With beer alcoholism, a hangover is similar to that of ordinary alcoholism, but it is removed much harder. In addition to the fact that the patient has a headache, he is also tormented by severe diarrhea.

Female beer alcoholism

Many of the symptoms of beer alcoholism in women are the same as those in men. But besides them, there are such signs as:

• Unwillingness to take care of the family.
• Capriciousness
• Self-digging.
• Tearfulness.

Beer alcoholism in women develops faster and is much more difficult to treat. Therefore, at the slightest manifestation of it, it is urgent to contact a narcologist and follow all his instructions.

Beer addiction in teenagers

Teenage beer alcoholism is just as common as adults. It is aggravated by the fact that the child, due to his own naivety, cannot realize the perniciousness of the regular intake of alcoholic beverages. A growing body gets used to beer many times faster than an adult, so children need to be closely monitored.

Parents should be alert for symptoms such as:

• Closure.
• Decreased performance.
• The appearance of irritability.
• Deception.
• Late festivities.
• Escape from family problems.

Important: 99% of drug addicts started their drug "career" with cigarettes and beer.

If these signs are found, it is urgent to take the child to a drug treatment clinic.

Dangerous consequences of beer alcoholism

If you regularly use a "soft" drink, then the body will definitely fail. After all, beer contains alcohol toxins (if you drink a lot of beer, then toxins also enter the hazardous quantities) and harmful compounds that significantly impair the metabolic processes and functions of all vital systems and organs:

Heart

First of all, the heart suffers. The German professor Boliger called the heart of beer lovers "bull", as its walls thicken significantly, the cavities expand, and cells in the heart muscle die. The culprit of this pathology is cobalt, which is used as a foam stabilizer. The content in the heart of this element in people who abuse beer is 10 times higher than the norm. The same element causes inflammation in the stomach and esophagus. Violates the work of the heart and carbon dioxide, which is contained in beer in huge quantities. Beer, getting into the body, overflows the vessels circulatory system. The result is an expansion of the boundaries of the heart and. In people who abuse the foamy drink, there is a syndrome of "kapron stocking". At the same time, the heart sags, increases in size, becomes flabby and copes very poorly with the function of the “pump” (pumps blood).

Endocrine system

Toxic substances contained in beer disrupt the endocrine system. When it regular use a substance is released that inhibits).

• In men who drink beer, fat reserves begin to be deposited according to the female type: on the sides, hips, the pelvis increases. In addition, beer significantly weakens interest in fair sex. For 15 years of drinking a drink made from hops.
• If a woman drinks beer, then her voice becomes rough, as well as cancer. Breastfeeding mothers raise children with a high predisposition to epilepsy.

Liver

Doctors have found that people who systematically consume beer are often diagnosed with an enlarged liver, which further leads to the development of cirrhosis.

Brain

Beer kills brain cells. They enter the bloodstream, are filtered by the kidneys and are removed from the body along with urine.

Other organs and systems

A person drinking beer develops diseases such as gastritis, pancreatitis, hepatitis, hypertension, neuropathy, auditory and visual analyzers are affected. With beer alcoholism, hyponatremia and lactic acidosis develop. Alcoholics get into medical institutions in a very neglected state, with marked dementia.

Stages of development of beer alcoholism

Dependence on beer is divided into stages:

1. Light form dependencies. It is not able to notice neither the immediate environment of the drinker, nor he himself. A person randomly takes beer first on holidays, then with colleagues, friends (not every day) several times a week. It ends daily use 1 - 2 bottles of foamy drink.

2. In the next stage, a person becomes irritable, aggressive, and there are problems with relaxation. Beer alcoholics drink daily, although they don't drink themselves out of control. The dose of the drink you drink can be very large (up to 15 liters of beer per day). At this stage, the urgent help of a narcologist is needed.

Causes of addiction

When preparing a foamy drink, hops are used. This plant is the closest relative of hemp (they can be crossed and get hybrids). Everyone knows that cannabis is a drug, just like hashish and marijuana. Naturally, hops also contain narcotic substances, only in smaller quantities, and ethyl alcohol can be classified as a potent drug. Therefore, beer alcoholism is formed quickly and almost imperceptibly. Narcologists say that unhealthy addiction appears even after non-alcoholic beer, worse than that, alcoholics have symptoms of drug withdrawal.

Treatment of beer alcoholism

Many people are interested in the question: "How to get rid of beer alcoholism?"

First, you need to remember that when you refuse to use harmful drink Drinking will never be resumed! Since it is disturbed in the brain, the normal reaction to alcohol-containing drinks will also never be restored. The slightest use of them will surely lead to a breakdown. Even refraining from drinking for decades does not guarantee that a person will be able to drink culturally. As they say, former alcoholics can not be.

The complexity of beer alcoholism is that addiction to beer is much stronger than to vodka. And if a person stops drinking, then you have to go to the end.

Alcoholism requires a long and persistent treatment. It is necessary that the patient himself admit his addiction to beer and wish to be cured, since compulsory treatment of beer alcoholism is completely useless.

There are several methods of curing the disease:

• Hypnosis.
• laser coding.
• Medications.
• With the help of folk remedies.

First of all, the alcoholic must be taken out of binge and the consequences of alcohol intoxication must be eliminated, and then the unhealthy addiction to it must be suppressed.

Prevention of beer alcoholism

1. Formation among the population of the opinion that alcohol can cause great harm to health. It is necessary to conduct explanatory conversations with adolescents, both parents and teachers.

2. Providing people with normal social conditions. For example, children raised in dysfunctional families are more likely to develop beer addiction.

3. The state plays a huge role in the prevention of alcoholism. The adoption of the necessary laws, of course, will be able to regulate the situation with alcoholic beverages in the country. For example, a ban on advertising of this drink helped to significantly reduce the consumption of beer.

It is important: Most effective method the fight against alcoholism is its prevention. It is much easier to prevent a disease than to treat it.

You must be aware that beer alcoholism is a great danger to people. After all, beer is a drug. And it is very easy to fall into his trap, especially for teenagers, when everyone around is drinking a foamy drink like water. And for many young people, this behavior is a lifestyle. Starting to drink beer is easy, because it is sold on every corner. But getting rid of the consequences of its use is very difficult. But if problems have already arisen, you need to stop immediately, if not by yourself, then with the help of a doctor.

- one of the most insidious drinks, primarily due to the fact that it is usually consumed in large quantities. Overuse beer leads to serious health problems.

1. Harm of beer for the stomach

Beer is not a strong alcohol drink, but some of its varieties contain up to 12-14% pure alcohol. This means that when drinking 1 liter of beer, you drink more than 100 ml of alcohol, and all this along with a liquid that is in a state of fermentation. Such an "explosive mixture" corrodes the mucous membrane of the stomach, and also poisons the body with decay products.

Numerous studies have shown that people who regularly drink beer have digestive problems. The reason is that beer contributes to the thickening of gastric juice, which worsens digestion. This is how alcoholic gastritis develops, accompanied by pain in the abdomen, impaired stool and a feeling of bitterness in the mouth.

2. How beer harms the liver

Like any other alcoholic drink, beer takes a toll on the liver. The danger of beer is that it is usually consumed in large quantities. The liver receives a great load not only from alcohol, but also from junk food, which is often eaten with beer ( smoked fish, chips, crackers). Such a beer snack is replete with preservatives, flavor enhancers and other additives that have a toxic effect on the liver.

In persons who often drink beer, there are frequent cases of chronic hepatitis, which is asymptomatic for a long time.

As you know, beer has a pronounced diuretic effect. With such active selection Urine removes vital substances from the body. In addition, a snack with beer, containing a lot of salt, contributes to the accumulation of fluid. Thus, the body receives a huge load, and the maintenance mechanism water-salt balance gives crashes. Poorly functioning kidneys lead to swelling, fatigue and pain in the legs, frequent colds and impaired heart function.

In severe cases, with beer alcoholism, organic disorders are also noted in the kidneys, leading to the death of kidney tissues.

4. Beer abuse and heart disease

When drinking beer, alcohol is very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing vasodilation. Frequent use beer can lead to varicose veins, and in severe cases - and the expansion of the chambers of the heart, which is clearly visible on x-rays.

With beer alcoholism, people often complain of disruptions in the heart rhythm, weakness and shortness of breath even at the slightest physical activity. In such cases, the risk of developing coronary heart disease increases significantly.

Questions from readers

5. Beer disrupts hormones

As you know, hops are used in the production of beer, which gives the drink a characteristic bitter aftertaste. But hops contain a large amount of phytoestrogens - plant analogues for women. If beer is in large quantities, this can lead to a change in the hormonal status in men. It is even possible to change her appearance (she becomes more feminine) and the timbre of her voice. The size of the mammary glands also increases, and fat begins to be deposited on the hips and buttocks.

Arkady Galanin

Scientists who study the problem of alcoholism quite rightly consider it unlawful to divide alcoholic products according to their degrees. harmful effects on the body, since none of them are harmless.

Contrary to this attitude, beer producers, advertising their goods, seek to increase the influx of buyers by the fact that beer is not alcoholic, but low-alcohol, supposedly harmless and almost healthy "drink". And this despite the fact that in recent years the alcohol content in beer reaches 14% in some varieties(i.e. corresponds to the alcohol content of wines), while in the days of the USSR, the strength of beer, depending on the variety, ranged from 1.5-6%, and more often - from 2.8% in Zhigulevsky to 3.5% in Moscow. Not many people know that the bottle light beer equivalent to 50-60 grams of vodka. Four bottles during the day - 200-240 g of vodka, almost half a bottle. Even worse is the situation with energy cocktails. Here, four cups of caffeine is added to the same amount of alcohol. strong coffee to the bank.

beer alcoholism

The fact that there is beer alcoholism has long been known. And although in the eyes of the layman it is less dangerous than wine and vodka, its consequences are devastating. In the 19th century, the British, fighting alcoholism, decided to replace strong alcoholic products with beer. But soon the "beer law" had to be repealed, since its introduction only aggravated drunkenness. The first Reich Chancellor of Germany, Bismarck, who knew firsthand about harmful effects drinking beer, gave the following definition beer alcoholism: "Beer makes them lazy, stupid and powerless"(under the term "powerless" impotence was meant).

The effect of beer on the heart

The most devastating and harmful consequence of immoderate consumption of beer is a diseased heart or, as the German physician Professor Bolinger called it, Bavarian "beer" or "bull" heart. It is expressed in the expansion of the cavities of the heart, thickening of its walls, necrosis in the heart muscle, reduction of mitochondria, etc. It is recognized that these changes are associated with the presence of cobalt in beer, which is used as a beer foam stabilizer. The content of this toxic element in the heart muscle of beer drinkers exceeds allowable rate 10 times. In addition, cobalt causes inflammation in the esophagus and stomach in beer drinkers.

There are other factors that disrupt the work of the heart in beer alcoholism. These are, first of all, large portions of beer consumed per day by its lovers, as well as the saturation of beer with carbon dioxide. Once in the body, the beer quickly overflows blood vessels. This leads to varicose veins and expansion of the boundaries of the heart. This is how the syndrome beer heart"or" kapron stocking "syndrome, when the heart greatly increases in size, sags, becomes flabby and pumps blood poorly.

beer and hormones

Beer contains a number of toxic substances, including salts of heavy metals, causing change V endocrine system. So, in the body of men with the systematic use of beer, a substance is released that suppresses the production of the male sex hormone testosterone. Beer contains phytoestrogens - an analogue of the female sex hormone, which leads to a gradual feminization of the male population. Men who drink beer begin to store female-type fat- on the hips and sides - the mammary glands grow (gynecomastia), the pelvis becomes wider. Beer weakens interest in the other sex. Fifteen or twenty years of beer experience - and impotence is guaranteed. In women who drink beer, the likelihood of getting cancer, infertility increases, and if it is a nursing mother, then the child may have epileptic convulsions. Also, women's voice becomes rougher and the so-called "beer mustache" appears.

Effects of beer on the brain

Based on studies conducted in 1985 in paid clinics in Canada by comparing beer drinkers with consumers of other alcoholic products, it was found that the diagnosis of "palpable liver" is most often diagnosed in people who systematically drink beer.

Studies in many countries show that chronic alcoholism develops 3-4 times faster from drinking beer than from strong alcoholic products. Although ethyl alcohol itself causes addiction, regardless of the "container" - beer, wine, vodka - who receives a fair dose of alcohol daily with beer, is psychologically protected, does not feel his danger and is not going to fight it. This will be until a person sees himself in a deep beer addiction. If he does not “repair his health” with a bottle or two of beer in the morning, his mental and physical well-being worsens, a breakdown and other symptoms appear.

Harm of beer for human body very extensive. The death of brain cells, which, dying, enter the bloodstream, are filtered out by the kidneys and come out with urine(video), dysfunction of the spinal cord, myocardial dystrophy, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis, pancreatitis, gastritis, neuropathy, damage to the visual and auditory analyzers. A correlation has also been proven between daily beer consumption and increased blood pressure. One of the severe complications of beer alcoholism is lactic acidosis and hyponatremia. Patients with beer alcoholism end up in hospitals in an extremely serious, neglected condition, most often with severe dementia and a decrease in personal assessment. These are the main consequences of beer alcoholism.

Beer is a legal drug

According to modern research, beer is the first legal drug paving the way for other, stronger illegal drugs. It is the consumption of beer that is the root cause of the crippled destinies of millions of our compatriots. Narcologists say that alcohol is the most aggressive of drugs, and beer alcoholism is characterized by particular cruelty. This explains the end of the beer orgy with fights, murders, rapes and robberies.

An employee of the Department of Biomedical Fundamentals of Human Life of the Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University S. Anikin in his article "Beer is not milk" gives a number of examples confirming the above. The May events of 2002 on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, when football fans excited by beer staged "large-scale demonstrative beatings" not only of compatriots, but also citizens of other countries, are an analogy for the data he cited about the disastrous consequences for society of drinking, especially for the younger generation. A graduate of one of the Moscow schools was beaten to death, accidentally finding himself in a crowd of drunken teenagers and youth, smashing cars and shop windows, brutally beating people who came to hand ...

All these events confirmed: alcohol and idleness gives rise to aggression.

Growth of beer consumption in Russia

Judging by the level of beer produced and sold in trade, Russia is currently among the countries whose population occupies "leading" positions in the use of this product, which is still considered low-alcohol and even "non-alcoholic". And this is despite the fact that the chief sanitary doctor of Russia, G. Onishchenko, on behalf of all medicine, appeared in the Teacher's Newspaper with an article about the harmful consequences of beer consumption. According to research conducted by the Department of Biomedical Fundamentals of Safe Viability of the Krasnoyarsk state university, of the four thousand people aged 7 to 20 surveyed, 48% of the first-graders were those who consumed alcoholic beverages, which is 12 times higher than the figures of 10-12 years ago. As G. Onishchenko stated, the growth in beer consumption in the country is "at the expense of adolescents and women of childbearing age".

Beer ads are silent about the dangers

Such a multiple jump in beer consumption is not surprising, given the persistently imposed, diverse in the way beer advertising is presented to gullible Russians who had no experience of resisting it before. What are the colorfully decorated huge billboards in cities and on highways, advertising the extreme "usefulness" of beer, and the murderous daily annoying advertising of beer on television, for a long time shifted from advertising beer to promoting a beer lifestyle.

And how can you get past the beer-related TV ad slogan: "There are things worth living for!"?

According to some "experts" beer is healthier than milk. Some media recommend that pregnant women and nursing mothers use it for better lactation and children for sweeter, deeper sleep.

It is not customary to talk about toxic compounds and the dangers of beer

But none of the media reported that in terms of harm to the body, beer can only be equaled with moonshine, because in progress alcoholic fermentation and in beer and moonshine in in full much more poisonous compounds (fermentation by-products) associated with alcohol are preserved. These are aldehydes, fusel oils, methanol, ethers, the content of which in beer is tens and hundreds of times higher than the level of their permissible concentration in vodka, obtained from alcohol of the highest purity.

Beer alcoholism leads to the degradation of generations

First of all, on the layman who believes all the beautiful fairy tales about the "drink" that is affordable to him. As for beautiful pictures with beer on billboards and short commercials "vaudeville" on TV, they are primarily addressed to young people. It can be said that now a war is being waged against the younger generation with the help of cheap low alcohol drinks, maximally reduced at prices to the level fresh water and equal to the price of a school lunch. It is not difficult to guess what a modern teenager will choose on the street just wanting to drink - water or beer. As a result, before the eyes of their parents, sober children turn into drinking youth, and drinking youth into drunken parents. Isn't it clear that beer subculture is the beginning of drug addiction culture leading to the degradation of generations, and in the end - to the death of the entire people.

The myth of a domestic beer producer

How can we explain the lack of understanding of this terrible prospect on the part of Russian legislators? It is generally accepted that the production of beer and trade in it replenishes the state budget. Proceeding from this, the consumer of beer is a true patriot of Russia, helping the domestic producer.

In 2004, there were about 300 breweries. Their absolute number belongs to foreign capital. For example, income from Nevsky beer goes to Denmark, Holster beer - to Germany, Miller - to America, " Old Miller"- to Turkey, "Tolstyak" - to Belgium, "Bochkarev" - to Spain, "Golden Bochka" - to South Africa. , beer fans support not a domestic, but a foreign manufacturer. Foreign tycoons have found fertile soil in Russia, which let go of the monopoly on alcohol in the 90s, only we will have to pay for their business with our future.

So it's time for the Russians to free themselves from illusions and remember the instruction of a hundred years ago by the tsarist general A. Nechvolodov: "Russia's path from ruin to prosperity is the path of a sober Russia". It is necessary that deputies of all levels soberly consider, finally, the alcohol situation in the country as a whole and adopt a law on state anti-alcohol policy, and in particular, recognize beer as an alcoholic product, which it actually is.

True patriots of Russia appeal to all adults and children with a request: raise children to be teetotalers!

Prepared based on materials: "Peculiarities of beer alcoholism". Z. Korobkina.
Doctor of technical sciences, professor.