Alcohol is not treated like other nutrients in food. In fact, the digestive system works extra hard to eliminate it from the body, prioritising the elimination of alcohol ahead of other nutrients including lipids (fats), carbohydrates and proteins. Alcohol is absorbed throughout the digestive tract. Unlike other nutrients alcohol is absorbed directly into the blood stream through the stomach lining and it is also rapidly absorbed in the small intestine. Alcohol metabolism mostly occurs in the liver, but other cells in the body can also metabolize alcohol.5Alcohol is converted into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. Alcohol can cause cancer because acetaldehyde can damage DNA and stop the cells from repairing this damage