It takes a pounding in the process, too. Cirrhosis is a common result of long-term drinking, and one of the main killers of older drinkers. Alcohol irritates the stomach lining, and vomiting is a particularly visible result. Heavy drinking can lead to stomach problems and ulcers. Central Nervous System .
Alcohol depresses almost every brain function, from balance to breathing.
And even though effects lessen as booze leaves the body, regular drinking raises tolerance, so that heavier drinkers can drink more without getting drunk. They do, that is, until liver damage reverses the process, which speeds up damage to the brain and the rest of the body. You Are What You Drink One of the biggest hidden problems in drinking involves the tendency of booze to drain the body's stores of critical vitamins and nutrients. And while some of the secondary problems arising from a vitamin deficiency can be reversed with daily doses of supplements, others can't be turned around as easily, particularly when they're undetected or untreated. Alcohol depletes supplies of B-complex vitamins, which are essential to basic body processes.