THE SILENT WITNESS
Alcohol and Alcoholism
By Dr . Johansen Oduor
In the beginning there was alcohol . Do you know that there is an enzyme in the liver known as alcohol dehydrogenase which seems to be having no other function apart from breaking down alcohol once this compound gets into the body ? Is it because the creator anticipated the widespread consumption of alcohol and thus prepared the body for it ? Or is it part of evolution with the body adapting to this fluid that has been widely produced and consumed since time immemorial ?
Consider the rhetoric story of man as a Homo Sapien . He ’ s surviving by hunting and gathering . One of the most common dietary ingredients of this man includes berries , fruits and grapes . In some occasions , these were left unattended in primitive vessels or in hollow rocks , leading to spoilage due to sun rays and yeast , forming a soupy mess . Now this man , after a long day of failed work arrives home tired , hungry , thirsty , and empty handed , to the wrath of the noisy wife who has been waiting the whole day . He decides to have some of this soupy mess . Suddenly the fatigue disappears , the thirst has been quenched , he is in a euphoric state , talks more , uttering words which though incoherent , are full of wisdom and can even face the wife who has been quarrelling him since he arrived home empty handed . He is also social and can easily make friends .
Though this story is imaginative , it brings to our attention the fact that alcohol was discovered accidentally in the prehistoric time where fermentation process occurred naturally and with time man took control of the process to proactively produce alcohol .
The first plant to be deliberately cultivated is believed to be Vitis which is a type of grape and it was cultivated for its fruits , and could also be converted to alcohol . The book of Genesis 9:20 states that Noah planted a vineyard . Alcohol has been quoted in many sections of the bible with the book of Psalms 104 : 15 stating that wine maketh glad the heart of man , with the effects of overindulgence in drinking of alcohol also mentioned in Proverbs 23:19-20 .
Alcohol has been with us for a long period of time and is the most widely used drug in the world . It is widely used in many occasions , including religious rituals , public occasions , rites of passage ( birth , circumcision , marriage and death ), public declarations , celebrations , during war and peace making . Efforts to regulate it has failed for it has been banished in several occasions only to be produced illegally . Regulations have been made due to its abuse which has been a major factor in many accidents ( transportation , falls at home or in public places or industrial ), and it has been a catalyst in majority homicides and other crimes . Chronic use of alcohol has also contributed to explosion of noncommunicable diseases including damage to the liver , the heart , the brain among other organs .
Alcohol is a small molecule and this makes it able to mix easily with water . Since up to 70 % of human body is water , it means that once ingested , it is widely distributed in the body . It does not dissolve in fat . People with large amount of body fat ( fat people ) have less amount of water in the body hence get drunk faster when they consume same amount of alcohol ingested by lean persons .
Once you ingest alcohol , it starts getting absorbed by the walls of the stomach , the duodenum and the jejunum . ( Duodenum and jejunum are parts of the small intestine ). Small amount reaches the large intestines where further absorption takes place . More alcohol is absorbed in the jejunum and duodenum than any other part of the gastro intestinal tract . This means that anything
delaying alcohol in the stomach leads to reduced absorption into the body .
Ever taken alcohol on an empty stomach ? What was the result ? Does it go straight to the head ? What of taking alcohol after a heavy meal of nyama choma ? Does it take time to get to your head ?
This happens because on an empty stomach , alcohol passes the stomach straight to the duodenum and jejunum with rapid absorption into the blood . On the other hand , on taking alcohol on a full stomach , especially after having a fatty meal , there is a delay in it reaching the jejunum and duodenum thus delaying its absorption ( remember most of alcohol consumed is absorbed through the two mentioned parts of the small intestine ).
Absorption rate of alcohol is also enhanced by the concentration of alcohol in a drink as well as use of carbonated drinks . The higher the concentration of alcohol the more rapid the rate of absorption so that a person who has taken spirits is more likely to get drunk faster than one who has taken a beer . Drinking spirits neat however has an effect in the stomach including irritation of
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