<P> While lower quality evidence suggests a cardioprotective effect, no controlled studies have been completed on the effect of alcohol on the risk of developing heart disease or stroke . Excessive consumption of alcohol can cause liver cirrhosis and alcoholism . The American Heart Association "cautions people NOT to start drinking...if they do not already drink alcohol . Consult your doctor on the benefits and risks of consuming alcohol in moderation ." </P> <P> Alcoholic drinks are classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 1 carcinogen (carcinogenic to humans). IARC classifies alcoholic drink consumption as a cause of female breast, colorectum, larynx, liver, esophagus, oral cavity, and pharynx cancers; and as a probable cause of pancreatic cancer . </P> <P> In the alcoholic drinks industry, congeners are substances produced during fermentation . These substances include small amounts of chemicals such as occasionally desired other alcohols, like propanol and 3 - methyl - 1 - butanol, but also compounds that are never desired such as acetone, acetaldehyde and glycols . Congeners are responsible for most of the taste and aroma of distilled alcoholic drinks, and contribute to the taste of non-distilled drinks . It has been suggested that these substances contribute to the symptoms of a hangover . Tannins are congeners found in wine in the presence of phenolic compounds . Wine tannins add bitterness, have a drying sensation, taste herbaceous and are often described as astringent . Wine tannins adds balance, complexity, structure and makes a wine last longer, so they play an important role in the aging of wine . </P> <P> Alcoholic drinks are a source of food energy . The USDA uses a figure of 6.93 kilocalories (29.0 kJ) per gram of alcohol (5.47 kcal (22.9 kJ) per ml) for calculating food energy . In addition to alcohol, many alcoholic drinks contain carbohydrates . For example, along with approximately 96 calories from alcohol in 12 US fl oz (355 ml) of 5% ABV beer, there are usually 10--15 g of carbohydrates (40--60 kcal or 170--250 kJ). Excessive daily calorie intake may contribute to an increase in body weight and so - called "beer belly". In addition to the direct effect of its caloric content, alcohol is also known to potentiate the insulin response of the human body to glucose, which, in essence, "instructs" the body to convert consumed carbohydrates into fat and to suppress carbohydrate and fat oxidation . Ethanol is directly processed in the liver to acetyl CoA, the same intermediate product as in glucose metabolism . Because ethanol can only be metabolized and consumed by the liver, chronic excessive use can lead to fatty liver . This leads to a chronic inflammation of the liver and eventually alcoholic liver disease . </P>

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