The Effects of Alcohol Explained: What Really Happens After You Drink

Did you know that The Plug originally focused on hangover relief when we first launched in 2019? While our priorities have shifted over to liver health support, we still help out plenty of customers when it comes to hangovers. After all, we still call ourselves the “last shot of the night” sometimes for a reason!

But while trips to the bar can be very exciting, you probably know by now that alcohol is not the greatest thing for our bodies. It can give us a short yet sweet high, but there are several long-term risks that come with drinking excessively. What is considered an "excessive" amount can vary depending who you ask, but it is actually recommended that women should stick with one drink and men with at most two per day (1)! This recommendation does not come from just wanting to avoid a hangover — it comes from wanting to avoid certain health issues.

Drinking affects so much more than just your liver. Let’s discuss why and how before you hit the town this weekend!

Alcohol vs. Your Liver

Let’s start with our favorite organ: the liver! It’s the biggest organ in the human body and has so many functions such as producing bile, filtering blood, processing glucose, and removing medications and alcohol from your body (2). Your liver is good at removing small amounts of alcohol, but a heavier intake puts more stress on the liver and causes it to not function efficiently (3). You could develop diseases such as (3, 4):

● Steatosis (otherwise known as fatty liver disease)

● Steatohepatitis (excessive fat and inflammation in the liver)

● Alcoholic hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) 

● Fibrosis (thickening or scarring of liver tissue)

● Cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)

● Liver failure 

● Liver cancer

Alcohol vs. Your Stomach

Do you know why many people throw up after binge drinking? Alcohol irritates the stomach lining, so the mix of stomach acid and alcohol leads to you feeling nauseated and ultimately throwing up (5). While that can just be unpleasant and not necessarily harmful, years of binge/excessive drinking could lead to ulcers, which are a type of sore on the stomach lining (5).

And what else processes alcohol? The pancreas, which is the part of the digestive system that produces enzymes (6). These enzymes then break down sugars, fats, and starches (6). When alcohol comes into the picture, the pancreas produces a toxic substance that can ultimately lead to acute or chronic pancreatitis — the swelling of blood vessels, preventing proper digestion (1). All of this inflammation also comes with not being able to produce insulin anymore, which then leads to diabetes (1, 5). 

Alcohol vs. Your Brain & Heart

Outside of the digestive system, the brain can be affected by alcohol as well! Excessive drinking can eventually lead to brain shrinkage, causing your memory, ability to learn, and ability to control your body temperature and movements to suffer (3, 5).

The heart can also become damaged; high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), stroke, and heart disease are just some of the risks that come from large amounts of alcohol or drinking for a long period in one’s life (1, 4). This long period of drinking can also lead to lower calcium levels — meaning thinner bones and less muscle — and a weaker immune system (3, 5).

One Last Word From Us

Now, we hope this information didn’t scare you too much! Remember: many of these conditions happen with excessive drinking on a regular basis. If you do choose to drink, make sure to do it right! Eat beforehand, stay hydrated (with water or The Plug Drink), and just take your time with it (1). Don’t mix alcohol with medications or get behind the wheel while intoxicated either.

If you choose not to drink, don’t think that you’re necessarily missing out! Here at The Plug, we have plenty of healthy mocktails on our social media that you can recreate. We hope you tag us with your creations!

Be a sidekick to your body this year, PlugFAM. It’s okay to celebrate, but try to have some limits so that your body can perform its best for you. Be safe out there, and cheers!

Bibliography

1. Pietrangelo A, Raypole C. What Are the Effects of Alcohol on the Body? [Internet]. Healthline. Updated 2023 Feb 16. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol/effects-on-body 

2. The Liver and Its Functions [Internet]. Columbia Surgery | Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Available from: https://columbiasurgery.org/liver/liver-and-its-functions

3. Mosel S. Risks, Dangers, and Effects of Alcohol on the Body [Internet]. American Addiction Centers. Updated 2025 Mar 17. Available from: https://americanaddictioncenters.org/alcoholism-treatment/body-effects

4. Alcohol's Effects on Health [Internet]. NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Updated 2025 June. Available from: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/alcohols-effects-body

5. Moore W. How Alcohol Affects Your Body [Internet]. WebMD. Updated 2025 June 23. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/ss/slideshow-alcohol-body-effects

6. The Digestive Process: What Is the Role of Your Pancreas in Digestion? [Internet]. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Available from: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/the-digestive-process-what-is-the-role-of-your-pancreas-in-digestion#:~:text=Your%20pancreas%20plays%20a%20big,sugars%2C%20fats%2C%20and%20starches