FROM THE FIRST SIP of your favourite tipple – whether it’s a glass of chilled prosecco or a gin and tonic – the alcohol you consume is the same. ‘Alcohol is a small molecule that affects every part of our system’, says Paul Wallace, emeritus professor of primary health care at University College London and the chief medical adviser for Drinkaware.
Called ‘ethanol’ by scientists, alcohol moves from the stomach straight into your bloodstream. Drinking too much shows in our face as tired red eyes and puffy skin, and the extra calories mean it’s easy to pile on the pounds. As well as causing well-documented damage to the liver, here’s how it affects other parts of the body.