Micah Edwin, MD (Owner/CEO Medwin Clinicians) on Instagram: "Medwin Clinicians Did You Know!!! Medicine: Beyond the Basics. Alcohol: “Borrowed Happiness With Interest” Explained Your liver is working overtime right now, and here’s exactly what’s happening. When alcohol enters your bloodstream, your liver kicks into action like a chemical processing plant. It uses an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase to break down ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is actually more toxic than the alcohol itself.