The liver can only metabolise about
half an ounce of alcohol per hour. This
is approximately 14.78ml or 3 teaspoons
of alcohol per hour! So while we are
downing shots, drinking doubles or
even singles, our liver is doing the
equivalent of an eight-hour boot
camp! The alcohol that cannot be
processed then travels around in your
blood stream, going straight to your
brain. Here in the brain it disrupts
nerve cells in the hippocampus (which
controls memory), the cerebellum
(which controls movement), and the
prefrontal cortex (which controls
mood).
This is when you normally feel relaxed
and charming. This slowly progresses until
the point that many of us might be
familiar with: complete lack of control of
your limbs, speech, and actions. You know
the feeling? When you think you can dance
or sing and really you end up looking like
you are doing some form of initiation into
an ancient tribal ritual/ It’s just as well we
mostly can’t remember the night before.
While your liver is working hard to process
the alcohol into less harmful chemicals, it is
not doing all the other functions that it is
normally
doing,
like
processing
kilojoules, toxins, and haemoglobin for
use of its iron content, to name a few.
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