Alcohol is not healthy. But it seems to me that most people act as if beer is not affected by this statement. In smaller amounts, even wine doesn’t hurt, if you have a drink once in a while, you won’t get hurt either. The problem arises when alcohol is consumed in larger quantities and on a regular basis. And I feel that, ironically, this is what beer is most at risk of. In addition, scientists confirm that there is a risk of significant liver complications when even one beer is consumed daily.

It’s true that if you drank hard liquor every day, it would be worse than having a beer with the TV every night. But the reality is that while we don’t consume other alcoholic beverages on a daily basis, many of my friends have a beer at least a few times a week. And most of them tout the fact that this drink is healthy. “It’s full of vitamins and minerals,” they say calmly, whereas they would never utter such a sentence about carrots or peppers. While it is true that beer is healthy in some ways, there is still a big BUT.

Even a small amount of alcohol destroys the liver

It’s true that beer contains far less alcohol than rum or vodka. But it’s been proven that even minimal amounts can have fatal effects on the liver. One of their key functions is to break down and filter toxins. Since alcohol is considered a toxin, this organ is heavily taxed. If you drink alcohol on a daily basis, over time the liver can become fatty.

“The liver has an extraordinary functional reserve. You can lose much of their function before any symptoms of disease appear. This is what makes fatty liver so dangerous,” says hepatologist Gagandeep Singh. The disease then makes it impossible for the organ to function properly. The immune system weakens, inflammation sets in and eventually leads to complete liver failure.

Regular daily consumption of beer is not entirely appropriate. Liver problems are likely to appear very soon. ━━ Regular daily consumption of beer is not entirely appropriate. Liver problems are likely to appear very soon. ( Source: Poojitha Prasad /  Unsplash+ )

The disease can be stopped by abstinence

If a person develops fatty liver and it is detected in time, a change in lifestyle may be enough to solve the problem. Fortunately, this happened with my grandfather, who goes for regular check-ups, and it was basically a complete coincidence that his blood results revealed liver problems. Fortunately, his health is more important to him than one beer a week with friends. By cutting alcohol out of his life, he has managed to reverse the problems.

Unfortunately, this case is the exception and Grandpa’s friend confirms that there are sad stories. In this one, the complications were not discovered in time. If left untreated, alcoholic fatty liver can lead to alcoholic hepatitis, a much more serious disease that can be irreversible.

So if you like to go out for a beer with friends, it should be rather rare. This drink should not be on anyone’s daily menu either, as even drinking it several times a week is significantly harmful. Think about your health and realise that you can have a good time with friends without alcohol.