PREVIEW

Why Hangovers and the Health Impacts of Drinking Alcohol Get Worse as You Age. HuffPost reports that many people lose the enzyme to metabolize alcohol as they grow older. According to the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, moderate drinking is defined as two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. Dr. Elizabeth Landsverk, a geriatrician and dementia expert, warns that alcohol impacts the body depending on your age. According to Landsverk, a person's twenties are a resilient time for the body, meaning that hangovers aren't as bad as they will be in later decades. "The liver and brain have the most resilience during that time. The frontal lobes (reasoning, and judgment) are not quite developed." "One is more likely to be open to drinking more or taking more risks, and this can set habits that will cause problems down the line." One's thirties, according to Landsverk, are similar to a person's twenties, as long as they are drinking moderately and keeping their overall health in mind. By a person's forties and fifties, Landsverk says that more health risks begin to be associated with consuming alcohol. "Alcohol, besides the vascular damage and dementia risks, increases the risk of breast cancer, esophageal cancer and liver cancer (after disease)." Dr. Elizabeth Landsverk, geriatrician and dementia expert, via HuffPost. Once a person hits their sixties, even moderate drinking can impact health, as older people are more likely to lose the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which allows the body to metabolize alcohol. "Older people have less reserve in the brain, liver and kidneys. The damage to the brain from even one glass a day is worse [when you’re over 60]." Dr. Elizabeth Landsverk, geriatrician and dementia expert, via HuffPost. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT