How Alcohol Works in the Body When you drink alcohol, it doesn’t just stay in your stomach. It gets absorbed into your bloodstream and starts affecting your brain and organs. Here’s how it works: Absorption and Breakdown Alcohol enters your stomach and small intestine, then moves into your bloodstream. Your liver is the main organ that processes alcohol. It breaks it down into acetaldehyde (a toxic compound) and then further breaks that down into less harmful substances that are eliminated from your body through urine and breath. However, the liver can only process a small amount of alcohol at a time—about one standard drink per hour. If you drink more than that, the alcohol builds up in your bloodstream, leading to intoxication. Effects on the Brain Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down the brain. When you drink, alcohol enhances the effects of a neurotransmitter called GABA, which makes you feel relaxed and less alert. At the same time, it reduces the action of ...
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