Every time you eat a meal or sip on a drink, your pancreas is working hard to make sure it’s being properly digested. This organ is only about the size of your hand and is responsible for making pancreatic juices called enzymes. All this helps your body to function properly and create hormones that regulate your blood sugar, appetite, stomach acids, and more.
Unfortunately, some common habits can put your pancreas health in jeopardy. Seemingly harmless habits that are part of your daily routine could actually be causing the pancreas to malfunction or develop not-so-desirable health conditions. To prevent your pancreas from future (or worsening) health troubles, here are some harmful everyday habits to be aware of.
Drinking Alcohol
Although alcohol contributes to an onslaught of health problems, it’s still something that the majority of Americans ages 18 and older do at one point or another. According to Cleveland Clinic, alcohol is responsible for up to 70-percent of chronic pancreatitis cases.
Alcohol has negative effects on the pancreas after a binge. The American Addictions Centers says there is no perfect explanation as to why alcohol leads to inflammation of the pancreas, but there is evidence showing it’s the second most common cause of acute pancreatitis. Avoid hurting your pancreas by limiting alcohol consumption and by not binging regularly.