How many of you like to unwind at the end of a long day with a glass of wine? Or, do you like to go out with your friends and enjoy happy hour? How about attending parties with an open bar and indulging in the free drinks all night?

It’s no secret that our society likes to drink. College students are known for their keg parties and all night drinking and there are now even painting classes you can take and drink wine at the same time.

It’s a social thing, but how dangerous can it really be to indulge in this habit on a daily/weekly basis?

With all of the holidays coming up and opportunities to overindulge, we wanted to let you in on some important information to keep you healthy this year.

According to National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, here is a statistic of alcohol use in the United States:

“In 2014, 87.6 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime; 71.0 percent reported that they drank in the past year; 56.9 percent reported that they drank in the past month.”

Drinking on a regular basis does not necessarily mean one may have a drinking problem, but it could be causing significant issues to your health.

What Is Considered a Drink?

• 12 ounces of regular beer (150 calories)
• 5 ounces of wine (100 calories)
• 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits (100 calories)

(This limit is based on differences between the sexes in both weight and metabolism. Beer ranges considerably in its alcohol content, with malt liquor being higher in its alcohol content than most other brewed beverages.)

The effects of drinking range from person to person, but here are 5 harmful effects of drinking alcohol regularly.

5 Harmful Effects of Drinking Alcohol Regularly

1. Pancreatitis

You probably don’t pay much attention to your pancreas, but that small, tadpole-shaped organ behind your stomach and below your ribcage is pretty important.

It produces two essential substances: digestive juices, which your intestines use to break down food, and hormones that are involved in digestion, such as insulin, which regulates  your blood sugar levels.

Pancreatitis is when your pancreas becomes inflamed and its cells are damaged. Heavy drinking can cause pancreatitis. 

There are two types of pancreatitis: acute and chronic.

Acute pancreatitis typically comes on quickly. The pancreas becomes inflamed, but it only stays that way for a few days and there isn’t usually any permanent damage.

However, one in five cases of acute pancreatitis are severe. Enzymes from your pancreas can get in your blood stream and lead to more serious conditions, like kidney failure. 

Symptoms of acute pancreatitis include:

• abdominal pain, just behind the ribs and spreading through the back
• nausea
• vomiting
• fever

Chronic pancreatitis is when the pancreas becomes inflamed and stays that way, causing it to stop working properly.

Symptoms of chronic pancreatitis include:

• recurring, severe pain behind the ribs and through the back
• weight loss
• producing greasy, foul-smelling feces
• back pain
• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

2. Several Types of Cancer

It is scientifically proven that alcohol is a known carcinogen.

Alcohol has been linked to several different cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Head and neck cancer: Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for certain head and neck cancers, particularly cancers of the oral cavity (excluding the lips), pharynx(throat), and larynx (voice box) (4).

People who consume 50 or more grams of alcohol per day (approximately 3.5 or more drinks per day) have at least a two to three times greater risk of developing these cancers than nondrinkers (4). Moreover, the risks of these cancers are substantially higher among persons who consume this amount of alcohol and also use tobacco (5).

Esophageal cancer: Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for a particular type of esophageal cancer called esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (2).

In addition, people who inherit a deficiency in an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol have been found to have substantially increased risks of alcohol-related esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Liver cancer: Alcohol consumption is an independent risk factor for, and a primary cause of, liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) (6). (Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus are the other major causes of liver cancer.)

Breast cancer: More than 100 epidemiologic studies have looked at the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of breast cancer in women. These studies have consistently found an increased risk of breast cancer associated with increasing alcohol intake.

A meta-analysis of 53 of these studies (which included a total of 58,000 women with breast cancer) showed that women who drank more than 45 grams of alcohol per day (approximately three drinks) had 1.5 times the risk of developing breast cancer as nondrinkers (a modestly increased risk) (7).

The risk of breast cancer was higher across all levels of alcohol intake: for every 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day (slightly less than one drink), researchers observed a small (7 percent) increase in the risk of breast cancer.

Colorectal cancer: Alcohol consumption is associated with a modestly increased risk of cancers of the colon and rectum. A meta-analysis of 57 cohort and case-control studies that examined the association between alcohol consumption and colorectal cancer risk showed that people who regularly drank 50 or more grams of alcohol per day (approximately 3.5 drinks) had 1.5 times the risk of developing colorectal cancer as nondrinkers or occasional drinkers (9).

For every 10 grams of alcohol consumed per day, there was a small (7 percent) increase in the risk of colorectal cancer.

3. Depression

Alcohol is often consumed to get a buzz, to have a good time, or to get the party started, but it is considered a depressant.

If you drink heavily and/or regularly, you’re likely to develop some symptoms of depression. It’s that good old brain chemistry at work again.

Regular drinking lowers the levels of serotonin in your brain – a chemical that helps to regulate your mood.

Due to alcohol being a depressant, suicidal behavior has been linked to alcohol abuse.

Alcohol use can be especially dangerous for individuals who are prone to or have a family history of depression.

4. Liver Disease

Alcohol related liver disease is wide spread in the United States, according to Alcohol Screening:

“More than 2 million Americans suffer from alcohol-related liver disease. Some drinkers develop alcoholic hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, as a result of long-term heavy drinking. Its symptoms include fever, jaundice (abnormal yellowing of the skin, eyeballs, and urine), and abdominal pain. Alcoholic hepatitis can cause death if drinking continues. If drinking stops, this condition often is reversible.”

About 10 to 20 percent of heavy drinkers develop alcoholic cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver.

Alcoholic cirrhosis can cause death if drinking continues. Although cirrhosis is not reversible, if drinking stops, one’s chances of survival improve considerably.

Those with cirrhosis often feel better, and the functioning of their liver may improve, if they stop drinking. Although liver transplantation may be needed as a last resort, many people with cirrhosis who abstain from alcohol may never need liver transplantation. In addition, treatment for the complications of cirrhosis is available.

5. Weight Gain

The empty calories in alcohol add up fast when you consider alcohol has nearly as many calories per gram as pure fat.

For example, a frozen margarita is similar in calories to a cheeseburger and drinking a glass of wine is like eating a slice of cake, calories-wise.

Any kind of calories — whether from alcohol, sugary beverages, or oversized portions of food — can increase belly fat. However, alcohol does seem to have a particular association with fat in the midsection.

“In general, alcohol intake is associated with bigger waists, because when you drink alcohol, the liver burns alcohol instead of fat,” says Michael Jensen, MD, an endocrine expert and obesity researcher with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Belly fat in the midsection does more than reduce your chances of winning the swimsuit competition. It’s linked to a variety of health problems, from type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Take a look at Greg, one of our customers, who used to be a regular beer drinker. He had extra weight around the middle, but when he decided to clean up his diet and swap beer for Oolong Tea, look what happened!

Greg looks great and feels much better, too! That one simple change is all he did to unearth his six-pack and get healthy from the inside out.

He didn’t drink just any Oolong tea, either. Greg invested in his health and drank only PREMIUM WU-LONG SLIMMING TEA. 

This tea contains NO pesticides, NO fillers, NO artificial colors/flavors, NO GMOs, and NO corn or soy. It is 1 ingredient: 100% PURE, PREMIUM OOLONG TEA.

Not only does this tea rev up your metabolism and burn 2.5 times more calories than green tea, but it also has a slew of other health benefits, as well:

• Revs up Metabolism & Aids in Weight Loss because of the high levels of EGCG. (EGCG is a catechin) – Burns 2.5 times more calories than green tea.
• Anti-Aging Properties with antioxidants that fight free radicals. Free radicals can age you and cause disease in your body. Free radicals can spawn from things like pollution, poor diet, stress and smoking. Your body needs antioxidants to fight these free radicals and keep you healthy.
• Lowers Cholesterol
• Equalizes/Stabilizes Blood Sugar
• Boosts Immune System
• Protects Teeth Against Decay
• Protects Bone Mineral Density
• Improves Mental Clarity and Sharpness
• Curbs Cravings
• Contributes to Clear Skin
• Boosts Energy

The good news is, you have immediate access to this tea – you don’t even have to leave your living room. 

Our tea is sold exclusively at OkumaNutritionals.com and there is no other tea like it on the market. 

Each tea harvest is carefully tested by a third-party laboratory to ensure cleanliness and highest quality for our customers. 

If you are like 700,000 of your peers who have discovered this AMAZING secret, then HOORAY FOR YOU! KEEP IT UP and tell your friends and family all about Oolong’s healthy side effects!

If you are wanting to change your health and have more energy and alertness throughout the day, you’re in the right place! 

We want everyone to feel as AMAZING as we do from drinking Oolong tea!

Find out more about our products by clicking here.

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Have you swapped out bad habits for better ones in an effort to get (& stay) healthy? If so, let me know in the comments below!

Yours in Health & Happiness,

Chrissy