Featured Image Credit: @drjeremylondon / YouTube
Alcohol is consumed by billions of people across the globe and its long-term impact is broadly understood, yet one heart doctor warns people that it might be more dangerous than you think thanks to one particular chemical present inside.
The benefits and drawbacks of alcohol consumption have long been debated by health experts, as while humans have been consuming the beverage in its many forms for over a millennia, it's generally not that great for our body.
Some doctors and scientists have claimed that certain drinks in moderation can actually have a positive impact on your health, yet consuming anything in excess is bound to lead to issues both immediately and later on in life.
This is especially relevant if you're someone who likes to binge drink and get drunk on a regular basis, as simulations have shown quite how destructive that can be, yet one heart doctor has shared on YouTube what he's learned after being sober for 1,000 days, issuing one particular warning in the process.
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You might have heard of Dr Jeremy London before, as he has shared a number of popular health habits and explained exactly why something like smoking weed can have a detrimental impact on your body over time.
A video he shared nearly two years ago documented the journey of sobriety that – at that time – he'd been on for over three years, highlighting a potentially harmful chemical that you consume every time you take a drink.
"There's been a real shift, honestly," Dr London explained when it comes to recent research regarding alcohol consumption. "Even from moderate alcohol intake, because in the end alcohol is broken down into two things when you drink it: acetaldehyde and acetate.
"Acetaldehyde is toxic to every cell in your body," he continued, outlining exactly why you might want to think twice before reaching for your next drink.
He does reveal, however, that the research behind that perspective remains somewhat inconclusive right now, but it's something he's chosen to recognize as part of the reason behind his sobriety.
"You either believe that science or you don't. Now, in ten years, could there be new research that shows that this is entirely wrong? Maybe. I think that's unlikely but that really doesn't matter," the heart doctor illustrated.
"Because all we can do at a given point, the present moment, right now, is to collect what we know and make the best decisions we can make for ourselves, educated decisions, whatever that is."
There's certainly no harm in avoiding alcohol as a result of this perspective, and even if it does turn out to be incorrect or not quite as bad as it seemed following future research, your body will have benefitted from it regardless.
