BEAUTIFUL DRINK.
FAMILIAR MOLECULE.
The glass is an aesthetic choice. The molecule and its metabolism are chemistry.
YOUR BODY DOESN’T SEE CHARDONNAY.
Wine, beer, cocktails, champagne, hard seltzer and spirits differ in packaging and concentration. Their intoxicating ingredient is the same chemical: ethanol. A larger pour or a higher alcohol percentage changes the total dose; the name of the beverage does not change the molecule.
VIEW SOURCE ↗ WHO / ALCOHOL FACT SHEETTHE ROUTE THROUGH THE BODY.
Enzymes including alcohol dehydrogenase convert ethanol to acetaldehyde, mainly in the liver. Another enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase, usually converts acetaldehyde to the less toxic acetate. Rate and exposure vary; this diagram shows the principal pathway, not every route alcohol can take.
VIEW SOURCE ↗ NIAAA / ALCOHOL METABOLISMTHE INTERMEDIATE IS NOT INNOCENT.
Acetaldehyde is toxic and carcinogenic. NIAAA describes it as an early byproduct of ethanol breakdown. The fact that the body usually processes it quickly does not make the exposure biologically irrelevant.
VIEW SOURCE ↗ NIAAA / ETHANOL AND ACETALDEHYDETHE CANCER LINK IS ABOUT ALCOHOL.
The National Cancer Institute describes several mechanisms by which alcohol can contribute to cancer risk, including acetaldehyde-related DNA damage. Alcohol consumption is causally linked with cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colorectum and female breast. A risk factor changes probability; it does not guarantee a diagnosis.
VIEW SOURCE ↗ NCI / CANCER TYPES AND MECHANISMSWant to challenge a specific step? The linked NIAAA and NCI publications explain the biology and its limits. Send a correction or source question when the contact channel is ready.