What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain, Heart, and Muscles

See how drinking affects every part of your body.

Just one sip of beer, wine, or whisky hangs out in your body for about 2 hours. Once it quickly enters your bloodstream, it touches down on nearly every organ and system in your body.

Thanks to its job breaking down toxins, your liver bears the brunt of heavy drinking. But even if you don’t imbibe enough to cause cirrhosis—the dangerous liver scarring that marks the final stage of alcohol-induced liver disease—your bar nights may start taking their toll on your health. (To make sure you stay healthy for

Now, we like alcohol, so we’re not finger-wagging. Moderate drinking—about two servings per day for men—brings a slew of health benefits, from lowering your risk for diabetes to boosting your creativity. (And for a book filled with how to achieve all of your healthy-living goals, check out The Better Man Project. It’s jam-packed with genius strategies for losing your belly fat, sharpening your mind, and getting everything you want out life.)

But if you start to overdo it, alcohol can certainly have negative effects. Here’s what happens in your body when you throw down more than a few.