The dangers of drinking wine will not be felt if wine is consumed occasionally. However, if consumed excessively and in the long term, wine can cause serious health problems, such as heart disease and cancer.
Wine is a type of alcoholic beverage produced from the fermentation of certain fruits with an alcohol content of around 12–15%. Consuming at least 150 ml of wine per day or equivalent to 1 glass of wine is known to provide health benefits. These benefits come from the high antioxidant content in wine.
However, you should still be aware of the dangers of drinking wine, especially if you consume it in excess or even become addicted. Over time, wine consumption can cause several diseases, such as stroke, cancer, liver disease, and brain damage.
Some Dangers of Drinking Wine for Health
Like alcoholic beverages in general, consuming wine can cause someone to get drunk. This condition can certainly be dangerous, especially if done while driving. Therefore, the most common danger of drinking excessive wine is causing accidents.
In addition, drinking excessive wine can also cause several conditions, including:
- Increases the risk of liver disease
The organ in the body that functions to break down alcohol so that it does not accumulate in the body is the liver. Therefore, excessive consumption of wine can cause the liver to work harder. Over time, this can trigger liver damage to cause cirrhosis.
- Triggers fatty liver
Fatty liver, also known as alcoholic fatty liver disease, is a condition in which fat accumulates in the liver due to excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, including wine. This condition needs to be watched out for because it can damage the liver and interfere with its function.
- Inhibits folate absorption
Folate or vitamin B9 is a substance that plays an important role in building DNA and the cell division process. However, if wine is consumed excessively, the alcohol content in it will prevent the absorption of folate by the body.
In addition to inhibiting its absorption, alcohol in wine can also inhibit the function of folate in the blood and tissues, thereby increasing the risk of cancer.
- Weakens the body’s immunity
Consuming too much wine is also known to weaken the immune system. When this condition occurs, the body will have difficulty fighting various bacteria that cause infections or diseases so that you will be more susceptible to various health problems.
- Increases the risk of obesity
The next danger of drinking wine is that it causes weight gain, which can increase the risk of obesity. The risk of obesity can be even higher if accompanied by an unhealthy diet, excessive stress, and a habit of rarely exercising.
- Causes damage and impaired brain function
Alcoholic beverages, including wine, can damage the brain’s nerves if consumed excessively over a long period of time. This can cause brain function to be impaired or even damaged.
Disrupted or damaged brain function can cause you to experience balance problems, slurred speech, slow thinking, and often forgetfulness.
- Causes reproductive system disorders
The dangers of drinking excessive wine can cause erectile dysfunction in men and stop menstruation in women. Not only that, wine and other alcoholic beverages can also cause premature birth and miscarriage, if consumed by pregnant women.
In men, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can also reduce sperm count and testosterone levels in the body which of course will affect fertility levels.
- Causes heart and blood vessel disorders
Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, including wine, can cause disorders in the cardiovascular system that can trigger high blood pressure (hypertension), stroke, and heart failure.
Not only that, consuming wine even in small amounts can also increase the risk of atrial fibrillation, a condition in which the heart chambers beat rapidly but cannot pump blood effectively.
- Increases the risk of cancer
If consumed beyond reasonable limits, drinking wine can increase the risk of cancer, one of which is breast cancer.
Studies show that women who consume alcoholic beverages every day have a 1.5 times higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who do not consume alcoholic beverages at all.
Read also: Dangers of Alcoholic Drinks and How to Stop Them
In addition to breast cancer, wine can also increase the risk of oral cancer, throat cancer, colon cancer, and liver cancer.
You need to know, not only the health problems above, the dangers of drinking wine excessively can also cause mental disorders, dementia, osteoporosis, pancreatitis, muscle cramps, and even death.
The dangers of drinking wine that have been mentioned above will vary from person to person, depending on gender, physical and mental condition, illnesses suffered, and medications being consumed.
However, even without being influenced by these factors, excessive and continuous consumption of wine in the long term can still cause health problems. Therefore, it is better to limit consumption from now on.
If you experience alcohol addiction or symptoms of alcohol poisoning, such as restlessness, nausea, and heart palpitations, see a doctor immediately for treatment.