What alcohol does to the body

By Dana G. Smith

The New York Times

Dry January has come and gone, but Americans’ relationship with drinking is undergoing a more lasting change. According to one recent poll, just 54% of U.S. adults said they consume alcohol, the smallest percentage in nearly 90 years of data collection. That may be because more people are taking alcohol’s negative health consequences seriously.

Drinking alcohol can have profound effects on the brain and body. In the moment, some of those effects can be pleasurable. But in the long term, especially when it’s consumed in large quantities, alcohol can cause serious health harms.

Here’s an inside look at what alcohol does to the body, both while you’re drinking and over time.

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