Which of the following has primary responsibility for eliminating alcohol from the bloodstream?

Stomach

liver

Spleen

Both 1 and 3

Answer: 2. Liver

Yes, the liver has the primary responsibility for eliminating alcohol from the bloodstream. Because your liver is like a cleaning machine for your body. It’s responsible for getting rid of alcohol from your blood when you drink.

After you drink, the liver breaks down the alcohol into different chemicals. These chemicals can either be used for energy or removed from your body through your pee and breath.

It takes around one hour for your liver to remove the alcohol from one drink. Which has about 14 grams of pure alcohol. If you drink too much too fast. Then it can cause too much alcohol to build up in your blood, making you feel drunk. You can get more information on true statements about alcohol.

Table of Contents

Alcohol Absorption and Effects on the Body

When you drink alcohol, it enters your stomach and small intestine. And is absorbed into your bloodstream.
Once it’s in your blood. It can travel all around your body, including your brain.
Alcohol can affect your brain in different ways. Such as slowing down your reaction time and making it harder to think and move.
The effects of alcohol depend on factors like how much you drink. And how quickly you drink, your weight, and whether you’ve eaten.
Drinking too much alcohol can cause serious health problems. Such as liver disease, heart disease, and cancer.
It can even be fatal.
It’s important to drink responsibly to avoid these risks.

The Liver’s Role in Alcohol Metabolism

Thus the liver has the primary responsibility for eliminating alcohol from the bloodstream.
When a person drinks alcohol, it goes into the stomach. And small intestine and then into the bloodstream.
The liver breaks down alcohol in the blood into different chemicals.
These chemicals can be used for energy or eliminated through urine and breath.
The liver uses enzymes like alcohol dehydrogenase. And aldehyde dehydrogenase to break down alcohol.
These enzymes convert alcohol into less harmful substances. That the body can remove easily.
But the liver can only break down one standard drink of alcohol in an hour. A standard drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol.
Drinking more than one standard drink per hour can cause alcohol to build up in the bloodstream. And leading to higher blood alcohol concentration levels and more severe intoxication.
Factors like body weight and metabolism. And hydration status can affect how quickly the liver removes alcohol from the bloodstream.

Enzymatic Breakdown of Alcohol in the Liver

When you drink alcohol, it goes to your liver through your blood. Your liver breaks down the alcohol into different chemicals using enzymes like alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase.
These chemicals include acetaldehyde and acetate. Your body can use acetate for energy and get rid of acetaldehyde through urine and breath.
Your liver can only handle one drink of alcohol per hour, which is about 14 grams of pure alcohol.
Drinking more than one drink per hour can make you very drunk and can be harmful to your body.
So for a wholesome Living. It’s important to drink alcohol in moderation and avoid drinking too much.
Other things like your weight, how fast your body works, and how hydrated you are can also affect how quickly your liver gets rid of alcohol.

Limitations of the Liver’s Alcohol Processing Capacity

The liver has the primary responsibility for eliminating alcohol from the bloodstream. But it can only handle one standard drink of alcohol per hour.
One standard drink has about 14 grams of pure alcohol in it.
Drinking more than one standard drink per hour can lead to a buildup of alcohol in the bloodstream.
This can cause more severe intoxication.
Alcohol accumulation in the bloodstream can harm the body.
So it can lead to problems like liver disease, heart disease, and cancer.
Factors like body weight, and metabolism. And hydration affects the liver’s ability to process alcohol.
If someone becomes dehydrated, their liver’s efficiency may decrease. Which slows down alcohol metabolism. And leads to a higher blood alcohol concentration.

Factors Affecting Alcohol Elimination from the Body

As people age, their liver function declines. And it becomes harder to process alcohol.
Women metabolize alcohol more slowly than men. Because their liver has less of the enzyme responsible for breaking down alcohol.
Body weight can impact how quickly alcohol leaves the body.
Metabolism can affect the rate at which alcohol is broken down. And can differ based on genetics and diet.
Eating food while drinking can slow the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream, leading to a slower elimination rate.
Hydration status. Because being dehydrated can slow down the liver’s function. And leading to a slower rate of alcohol metabolism.

Recommendations for Safe Alcohol Consumption

The liver has the primary responsibility for eliminating alcohol from the bloodstream. But drink in moderation. Men should have no more than two drinks per day. And women should have no more than one drink per day. Also, don’t have more than one drink per hour.
Know your limits. Because everyone’s tolerance for alcohol is different. It’s important to know how much alcohol you can handle.
Eat food and drink water. Eating food while drinking can slow down the absorption of alcohol. And drinking water can prevent dehydration. Which can affect the liver’s function.
Don’t drink and drive. Because drinking alcohol impairs judgment. And coordination, making it dangerous to operate a vehicle. Use public transportation or a designated driver.
Avoid binge drinking. Binge drinking is having too much alcohol in one sitting. For women, it’s four or more drinks, and for men, it’s five or more. Binge drinking can be harmful and increase the risk of alcohol poisoning.

Which Organ Does Not Remove Alcohol From the Bloodstream

Alcohol enters the bloodstream after it is consumed.
Many organs in the body help to process. And eliminate alcohol, except for the lungs.
Because the lungs do not remove alcohol from the bloodstream.
As alcohol travels through the bloodstream. It reaches the lungs where it diffuses into the air sacs.
Alcohol is exhaled out of the body in the breath.
A small amount of alcohol can be detected in a person’s breath due to this process.
Breathalyzers are often used to measure a person’s blood alcohol concentration levels.

Is the Liver Responsible for Breaking Down Alcohol 98 Percent of?

When alcohol is consumed, the liver breaks down the majority of it.
However, the liver doesn’t break down all of the alcohol.
The liver has the primary responsibility for eliminating alcohol from the bloodstream.
But, it doesn’t break down all of it.
So the liver breaks down about 90-95% of alcohol. While the remaining amount is eliminated through sweat, urine, and the lungs.
Therefore, it’s not correct to say that the liver breaks down 98% of the alcohol in the body.

How Much Alcohol Can You Get Rid of In An Hour?

Thus the liver can eliminate one standard drink. Which is 14 grams of pure alcohol, from the body within an hour.
If you drink more than one drink per hour, the extra alcohol will stay in your blood.
How fast your body removes alcohol depends on things like your age, gender, weight, and metabolism.
Drinking on an empty stomach can make the body absorb alcohol faster. Which means it will take longer for the body to remove it.

Tarannum Ali

Author

Hey! I’m Tarannum Ali, author of Wholesomeness Theory and your friendly life coach. Ready to feel great and thrive? I’m all about nurturing your mind, improving relationships, and guiding your personal growth. Let’s team up to set cool goals and start this wellness journey together.