Like most things in life, alcohol is a two-edged sword. Its health benefits have long been known. Even the Bible mentions the good effects of alcohol consumption. Moderate alcohol drinking can help stave off numerous disorders such as hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and a host of other health problems. But take note: it’s MODERATE consumption.

On the other hand, immoderate consumption can LEAD to a multitude of health problems. Anyone who’s ever drunk too much and experienced a hangover the next day will attest to this. The accompanying headache, nausea, and vomiting are no fun at all. Sometimes this trio is accompanied by a fourth symptom: body pains. It’s sort of like the Three Musketeers and their buddy D’Artagnan. Fortunately, hangovers are a temporary effect of excessive drinking. Time and enough sleep will dissipate these effects.

There are, however, more lasting effects. For one thing, take too much alcohol consistently and you’re going to gain weight. Alcohol has a lot of calories. And yes, it’s true. Too much drinking of beer will give you a beer belly. Not very attractive. But that’s not the real issue. Excessive weight gain can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Inordinate alcohol consumption over an extended period puts you at a higher risk of developing cancer. Alcohol is not a major carcinogen, but the International Agency for Research on Cancer has discovered enough evidence proving that alcohol can have a carcinogenic effect. Two to four percent of cancer cases can be directly or indirectly linked to excessive drinking of alcohol. And it is definitely a co-carcinogen, meaning it strengthens the carcinogenic properties of other substances in your body. For example, if you smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol, the alcohol will boost the negative effects of nicotine in your body.

Liver disease is a common side effect of excessive alcoholic consumption. It can lead to three types of liver conditions – fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. You see the liver can only cope with a certain amount of alcohol a day. Go beyond this amount and the liver gets stressed, its normal function impeded.

Other possible health disorders excessive drinking can lead to are stomach disorders, pancreatitis, damage to nervous tissue, depression, anxiety, impotence, damage to fetuses, and alcoholic dependence. In addition, when you drink too much alcohol you weaken your immune system, making yourself more susceptible to colds, flu, or whatever viruses are going around. Plus alcohol drinking is closely associated with an increased risk of fatal accidents. Nothing is a worse health effect than a fatal accident.

“But what about all the health benefits you mentioned at the start of this article?” you may be wondering. Yes, of course, those are real. I wasn’t making that up. But remember, the benefits come with moderate consumption. So what does moderate translate to? Well, in the USA, that would be one drink a day for a woman or two drinks for a man. U.K. standards allow for two to three units of alcohol per day for women, and three to four units for men. If you can consistently keep to those levels, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. The thing is the tendency is most cultures is to encourage excessive drinking.

So take a good look at your drinking patterns. You don’t need to give up alcohol, but consider whether cutting down is something that would be beneficial to you. Find out your actual situation.