Another toxin, methyl alcohol, the infamous "wood alcohol" that can cause blindness if drunk, may be the main culprit for some people, [Cedric M. Smith] thinks. The body produces tiny amounts of methyl alcohol naturally. The ethyl alcohol consumed in beverages inhibits the body's ability to break down the toxin, allowing levels of it to build up and potentially causing headache, nausea, gastric pain and visual distortion.