How Does Alcohol Cause Liver Damage and Disease?
The liver plays an important role in processing nutrients, removing harmful substances, and supporting many essential functions in the body. However, regularly consuming excessive amounts of alcohol can place significant stress on the liver. Over time, alcohol-related damage can progress from temporary inflammation to serious and permanent liver disease. How Does Alcohol Damage the Liver? When alcohol is consumed, the liver breaks it down into various substances. One of these, acetaldehyde, can damage liver cells and promote inflammation. Repeated exposure to alcohol can also increase oxidative stress and interfere with the liver's normal ability to process fats. As a result, fat may accumulate inside liver cells, leading to alcohol-associated fatty liver disease . At this stage, some people may have few or no noticeable symptoms. Can Alcohol Cause Liver Inflammation? Continued heavy alcohol consumption can cause inflammation of the liver, known as alcohol-associated he...