A new study claims a weekend of binge drinking is enough to alter the DNA of young college students, according to a news release.
"When we talk about youth alcohol abuse, we are referring to youngsters who drink alcohol without having become addicted. Addiction involves a more complex issue socially and psychologically speaking. This is social alcohol abuse," study researcher Adela Rendón said in a statment, "but which causes damage in the long term and you have to be aware of that."
The study analyzed how the drinking habits of University students were affecting their genetic material (DNA). The findings were published in the journal Alcohol.
According to the news release, the experiment was set up as followed:
"The students were divided into two groups: the control group made up of the students who did not drink alcohol and the study group of those who drank at weekends. To make sure that they were healthy individuals without any other diseases or addiction that could alter the results of the study, they underwent blood tests. The age of the students ranged between 18 and 23 and the average consumption of alcohol was 118 g, a liter and a half of beer, for example."
Researchers the measured the alcohol enzyme dehydrogenase levels in the students, a hormone responsible for metabolizing ethanol into acetaldehyde, acetoacetate and acetone. The study found twice of much oxidative damage in the participants who consumed alcohol over the weekend.
"The results revealed damage in 8% of the cells in the control group and 44% in the exposed group. Therefore, the exposed group had 5.3 times more damaged cells," according to the news release.
However, the researchers confirmed the damage to the DNA could not be categorized as "considerable," but there should not be any "damage" at all.
"The fact is, there should not have been any damage at all because they had not been consuming alcohol for very long, they had not been exposed in a chronic way," Rendón said.
