By Jeremy Hill

Alcohol may be good for you... drunk in moderation... by a healthy adult... with a healthy liver... and a few alcohol-free days a week. So, perhaps it's not good for you specifically, unless of course you happen to be a moderate-drinking, not-overweight adult, with a healthy liver. Unfortunately, most people fail to meet this list, either drinking too much (technically, a binge drinking male consumes five, and females four, standard drinks in a row), drinking too often (do this three times a fortnight and you are a frequent binger), carrying too much fat around the tummy (that is, over half of all Australians), or having an unhealthy liver (about 10 per cent have actual liver disease). Subsequently, alcohol usually winds up causing more harm than good for most.

And not all drinkers are the same. Alcohol can affect females far more due to their lower levels of muscle mass that can significantly dilute the alcohol in males. A test I use at work involves a computerised body composition and cellular health analysis. Results show that a female of the same weight as myself will usually carry about 15-20kg less of lean muscle tissue than me, putting her at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to diluting alcohol. As well as feeling the effects of alcohol more quickly and strongly than males, this means that a binge-drinking female is more susceptible to developing alcohol-induced diseases earlier than males. This includes alcohol induced hepatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver. These are the result of the inflammation that occurs in the liver when alcohol is converted into its toxic metabolite, acetaldehyde. Even occasional binge drinking, let alone frequent binging, is capable of causing cause serious liver damage.

In severe liver disease, certain parts of the body can become yellow in colour due to a build up of the pigment, bilirubin. If the whites of your eyes have been a little yellow lately, or your tan is more banana than bronze, or your urine looks less like a mountain spring and more like the Ganges on washing day, then your liver may be suffering a lot. Liver disease can keep itself well hidden until the liver is well and truly ill. Even a normal liver function blood test cannot always rule out liver disease. Some early warnings to look out for can typically include feeling tired, itchy, not sleeping, memory and focus problems, and bouts of abdominal pain.

Teenage binge drinking in Australia is a huge issue, with the physical and mental consequences often having lifelong impacts. The developing teenage brain and liver are highly susceptible to damage affecting long-term health and behaviour. A recent UK study which tracked individuals born in 1970, found teenage binge drinkers were 50 per cent more likely to develop mental health and alcohol abuse problems, have court convictions and be involved in accidents later in life. The early binge drinking behaviour was also found to negatively affect their likelihood of achieving further formal education, their future earning capacity and their socio economic status. One of the researchers from this study commented that the number of binge drinking 16 year olds (in 1986) in the study was one in five. Current Australian numbers would be at least double that.

One of the reasons that alcohol is so damaging to teenagers is that the front brain area, which is involved in risk assessment, is still developing. Thus, decisions are made impulsively and consequences are not fully comprehended until after the fact.

When teenagers drink, the alcohol can further cloud already poor judgements, increasing the possibility of risky behaviour. Subsequently, alcohol is involved in a large proportion of teenage violence, pregnancies and motor vehicle accidents.

My advice to teenagers is that drinking is not as cool as you might think it is and you have years after turning 18 to drink. Let your brain focus on dealing with exams, learning to drive and deciding what to do with the rest of your life. If you do plan on having a drink, decide beforehand what you will drink and how much and stick to it, eat a healthy meal beforehand and drink a lot of water. And parents, contrary to popular belief, research shows that the early introduction of alcohol actually induces an increased likelihood of drinking excessively later in life. It is far better to focus on providing a loving, safe, healthy and trusting environment to encourage the development of your teenager's self esteem.

Having survived a typical Australian youth myself and gone on to help heal more than my share of unloved livers and brains, I feel fairly qualified now to pass on the good news. Luckily, some simple lifestyle changes are often all that is needed to turn potentially risky behaviour into a healthy asset. The body wants to recover, and your liver and brain seem to be pretty darn good at it when given a little encouragement and support. Even the cirrhotic scarring of the liver, which can actually develop from excess alcohol or food intake, obesity, viral infections and chemical exposure, if given enough time and appropriate behaviour changes and proper nutritional support, can repair.

Good health,
Jeremy Hill (Diploma of Natural Therapy), Qualified Naturopath