Even when some attention is paid to diet, existing liver damage may interfere with proper storage and use of vitamins and minerals. Also contributing to a loss of nutrients are the vomiting and diarrhea that go along with heavy drinking. The digestive tract takes a beating in other ways. A pleasant glass of wine or an aperitif before dinner is said to stimulate the appetite, perhaps because alcohol in low concentrations promotes the secretion of stomach juices. But a higher level of alcohol can inhibit digestive enzymes and irritate the stomach lining, causing nausea, vomiting and stomach distress.
Heavy drinkers develop peptic ulcers more frequently than non-alcoholics.
Heavy alcohol consumption can also directly damage the heart muscle, causing a condition called cardiomyopathy, which can lead to heart failure even in the relatively young. The major symptoms are shortness of breath, swollen ankles and fatigue. Though there's been a lot of talk recently about a drink or two being good for the heart, not all experts agree on this score. Eichner states that new data reveal that those who don't drink or smoke have the lowest incidence of heart disease of all. He also notes that drinking aggravates high blood pressure and diabetes, two risk factors in heart disease.