Why Does Alcohol Damage the Liver?
The liver is the largest organ in the body. It is located in the center of the abdomen and holds approximately 13% of the body’s blood supply. All of the blood leaving the stomach and intestines passes through the liver. The liver aids in the digestion of food, absorption of nutrients and elimination of toxic substances from the body. When blood leaves the stomach and intestines, it goes to the liver for processing. While the blood is processed, nutrients are broken down into usable forms to be distributed throughout the body by the bloodstream. The liver also stores sugar in its most pure form, glucose, which is used by the body for energy. Toxic substances are excreted into the bile or blood, transferred to the intestines and expelled from the body in the form of feces. Alcohol is one of the toxic substances filtered by the liver. The liver breaks it down to a form that can be eliminated by the body. Excessive alcohol intake causes the liver to become fatty and blocks the delivery of
