Last Update: January 19, 2023, 08:33 AM IST
The WHO claims that there is evidence available that suggests a threshold where alcohol causes cancer-causing effects and starts damaging the human system (Credits: AFP)
Heavy drinking can affect a variety of genes, including those related to the brain. This can have a profound effect on the way the brain develops.
It is well known that consumption of alcohol is injurious to health. From liver damage to heart disorders, it adversely affects our body. Consumption of alcohol has become very common and thus we often ignore the adverse effect it can have on our body. But now the time has come to take these effects seriously as it is no longer confined to our heart or liver.
According to researchers at Nimhans, excessive alcohol consumption can cause irreversible changes in DNA. There’s a tricky point here. If you think that if there is a change in DNA, then you will stop drinking and everything will be fine, then you are wrong. One of the study’s authors suggested that the changes may persist even when alcohol is no longer consumed.
In the study, published online in the ‘American Journal of Medical Genetics’, researchers explain that the body breaks down alcohol (ethanol) quickly, converting its two carbon atoms (CH3CH2 or ethyl) into single atoms (CH3 or methyl), which can interact with many other substances including DNA. Methylation can change how many genes express themselves or perhaps have harmful effects. The study found that the changes in DNA chemistry caused by heavy alcohol use may not be reversible.
For the purpose of the research, the scientists analyzed the chemistry of the DNA of individuals who had been heavy drinkers for 10 years, an average of 10 drinks per day. One of the authors reported that they assessed their DNA when they first sought treatment and three months later when they reduced or stopped drinking. The results show a significant decrease in methylation in heavy drinkers. This persisted even after three months of abstinence. Two genes directly linked to alcohol metabolism, however, were more methylated in people with alcohol dependence and remained so after abstinence. They also found that in heavy drinkers, even when they stopped drinking, methylation did not return to non-drinker levels, meaning that the chemical changes in DNA associated with alcohol are not temporary.
Additionally, they also found that people who started drinking at a young age experienced its effects more strongly. This implies that early drinking may affect a variety of genes, including those related to the brain. This can have profound effects on how the brain develops and matures, with effects that can last into later adulthood.
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