Latest news with #alcoholConsumption
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Here's What Binge Drinking Does To Your Brain And Body
Binge drinking may start as fun—but it increases the risk of injury, blackouts and long-term health ... More problems. From celebrity tequila brands to viral TikTok 'drunk girl' videos, social media glamorizes binge drinking as fun and carefree. But behind the curated posts and party culture lies a real issue — binge drinking can come with serious health risks. Binge drinking is surprisingly common. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 17% of U.S. adults report regularly binge drinking, with an average of four episodes per month — about once a weekend. What Is Binge Drinking? The CDC defines binge drinking as consuming five or more drinks for men, or four or more for women, within about two hours. A standard drink contains 14 grams (0.6 fluid ounces) of pure alcohol — equivalent to 12 ounces of beer (5% alcohol), 5 ounces of wine (12%) or 1.5 ounces of spirits (40%). Women tend to reach higher blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) than men after consuming the same amount. This is due to their lower levels of alcohol dehydrogenase (the stomach enzyme that breaks down alcohol), less total body water and hormonal influences on alcohol metabolism. From Buzz to Blackout: Progression From A Few Drinks To A Binge A binge begins with a couple drinks. At one to two drinks, many feel relaxed or euphoric due to increased dopamine levels in the brain. However, even low doses begin to impair judgment and lower inhibitions. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system by enhancing the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA and suppressing the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Collectively these effects reduce motor coordination and mental clarity in a dose-dependent manner. With three to four drinks, alcohol's effects become more pronounced as most surpass a BAC of 0.08%, the legal limit for driving. At this stage, speech slurs in some people. Motor skills have declined further, reaction times have slowed and decision-making has deteriorated. Emotional regulation also changes. Alcohol may amplify underlying moods including happiness. However, in some people anxiety, sadness or irritability may be increased. It may lead to outbursts of aggression. The liver typically metabolizes about one drink per hour. Chronic drinkers may metabolize slightly faster due to increased activity of liver enzymes like CYP2E1. But the increase is modest. Alcohol is broken down into acetaldehyde, a toxic, carcinogenic compound, which is then converted to acetate and finally into water and carbon dioxide. The accumulation of acetaldehyde is responsible for many of alcohol's harmful effects. Some individuals have a tolerance to alcohol. This means they may appear less intoxicated at the same BAC. Yet tolerance is a result of a brain adaptation to higher BACs and not faster metabolism. Therefore, a higher tolerance leads to increased consumption, raising the risk of alcohol-related health harms. What Happens When Binge Drinking Once alcohol consumption crosses the binge threshold — four drinks or more for women, five or more for men — both drunkenness increases and does the risk of acute health toxicity. Higher levels of alcohol depress the brainstem, which controls breathing as well as affecting heart rate and body temperature. Very intoxicated individuals may experience vomiting, loss of consciousness or even dangerously slowed breathing. Vomiting can sometimes lead to aspiration. This is where stomach contents go into the lungs, sometimes leading to choking. Blackouts are also a risk where the brain can't form new long-term memories despite the person being awake and active. Blackouts are more likely to occur when women drink more than 8 drinks and men more than 10 in an occasion. Blackouts are linked to increased risk of injury, poor decision-making as well as cognitive issues, like memory lapses and everyday thinking problems, even in young people. The Health Risks of Binge Drinking The most immediate consequence of a binge is the hangover, a collection of symptoms including headache, nausea, fatigue, muscle aches and irritability. These effects stem from dehydration, low blood sugar, immune system activation, inflammation, poor sleep quality and the toxic byproducts of alcohol metabolism. But hangovers are only one risk. Serious binges can be immediately life-threatening. The Dubowski stages of alcohol influence defines 'stupor' as occurring at BACs of 0.30–0.40%. This is characterized by marked confusion, inability to stand or walk, vomiting and incontinence. At BACs above 0.40%, risks of coma and death increase, primarily due to respiratory depression and loss of airway protective reflexes. Drinking markedly increases the risk of injury as motor coordination is diminished and risk taking behavior increases. Yet beyond injury, long-term, repeated binge drinking adversely affects nearly every major organ system. In the liver, it can cause fatty liver (steatosis), inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis), and permanent scarring (cirrhosis). The pancreas may also become inflamed, leading to painful and dangerous pancreatitis. The heart also is vulnerable. Binge drinking is linked to elevated blood pressure, arrhythmias, stroke and sudden cardiac death. In the brain, repeated exposure to high alcohol levels can cause structural shrinkage in young adult brains, especially in areas responsible for memory and decision-making. Binge drinking is also linked with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior. Over time, repeated binge drinking can progress to alcohol use disorder (AUD), a chronic relapsing condition marked by a loss of control over drinking and physical dependence. Binge drinking also increases cancer risk. Alcohol and its byproduct acetaldehyde are both classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization (WHO). Binge drinking is linked to cancers of the breast, liver, colon, mouth, esophagus, and throat. According to the WHO, no level of alcohol consumption is considered safe, challenging long-held beliefs about the supposed benefits of moderate drinking. These risks add up. A recent study in JAMA Network Open estimated that that there were over 140,000 deaths annually in the U.S. in people age 20 to 64 due to excessive alcohol use, accounting for 15% of deaths in men and 10% in women. How to Reduce Risks Associated With Drinking Of course, abstaining from alcohol eliminates the risks. Yet those who choose to drink can take steps to reduce harm. Eating a meal rich in fat and protein before drinking slows alcohol's absorption. Hydrating before, during and after alcohol use can mitigate dehydration and help reduce hangover severity. Pacing alcohol consumption to ideally no more than one drink per hour allows the liver to keep up. Drinking earlier in the day to allow the body to completely metabolize the alcohol before sleep can help mitigate some alcohol-related sleep disruption. Avoiding high-proof liquors and shots lowers the likelihood of rapid intoxication. Sticking to one type of alcoholic beverage may help reduce overconsumption, although research on this is mixed. Additional protective strategies include setting a drink limit and planning transportation in advance. Avoid mixing alcohol with medications or other substances is also important, as combinations can increase overdose risks of overdose, blackouts or severe medical complications. Finally, tracking alcohol use through a journal or app can help identify patterns. Taking regular breaks from alcohol — such as dry weeks or alcohol-free months — gives the body time to recover and can recalibrate tolerance. Some opt for a 'Dry January' as December tends to be the month with the highest alcohol consumption. Self-awareness and environmental control, such as avoiding high-risk settings or peer pressure, can also preventing binging. Ultimately, binge drinking has become a socially accepted if not a central part of American culture, particularly in young people and on college campuses. But it is far from a harmless activity. It increases the risk of injury, cognitive decline, organ damage, cancer and death — even among those who only binge occasionally. Understanding how alcohol affects the body can help inform choices. Whether through moderation or abstinence, reducing binge drinking is a step toward better long-term health.
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Exact number of alcoholic drinks that cause colon cancer exploding in young people revealed
It's one of the most widely accepted habits in modern life - a glass of wine with dinner, a cold beer after work. But mounting evidence suggests that even these modest indulgences may quietly be increasing your risk of colon cancer, one of the deadliest - and often symptomless - forms of the disease. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Party combo linked to rise in colon cancer rates in young people
A new study has revealed that the combination of drinking and smoking is behind the alarming rise of one of America's fastest-growing cancers in under-50s. Researchers in Germany analyzed just over two dozen studies comparing regular drinkers and smokers to teetotalers. They found drinking alcohol every day raised the risk of developing early-onset colon cancer by 39 per cent, even if it's just one or two drinks per day. Also, just 100 cigarettes in a person's lifetime - the equivalent of one per week for two years - was linked to a 59 per cent higher risk than people who have never smoked. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO The researchers wrote: 'Alcohol consumption and smoking are significant risk factors for EOCRC and should be addressed in the context of prevention.' Alcohol and smoking have both been linked to colon cancer in the past, as they release chemicals that destroy DNA and cause cancer cells to mutate. But the new study is one of the first to compare both factors at once in relatively low amounts. However, fewer millennials and Gen Zers drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes than ever before, suggesting the findings may apply more to younger members of Gen X. The American Cancer Society estimates over 154,000 Americans will be struck by colorectal cancer this year, including about 20,000 under 50. While this is roughly in line with two decades ago, the disease is rising sharply in younger groups. The review, published in the journal Clinical Colorectal Cancer, looked at 12 studies on alcohol consumption and 13 on smoking. According to the latest data, early-onset colon cancer diagnoses in the U.S. are expected to rise by 90 per cent in people 20 to 34 years old between 2010 and 2030. In teens, rates have surged by 500 per cent since the early 2000s. Overall, the team found daily alcohol consumption in general increased the risk of early-onset colorectal cancer 39 per cent compared to lower amounts. They also looked at moderate alcohol consumption and high consumption. Moderate was considered one daily drink for women and two for men. High is four or more daily drinks for women and five or more for men. The team found people who consumed moderate to high amounts of alcohol every day had a 30 per cent greater risk of colon tumors and 34 per cent greater risk of rectal tumors than those who consumed low amounts of alcohol per day. The strongest association they found was in a 2022 study published in the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, which looked at colorectal cancer patients with a history of alcoholism. Compared to patients who never abused alcohol, those with a history of alcohol addiction were 90 per cent more likely to develop colon cancer. The researchers in the new review also found the risk of colon cancer increased 2.3 per cent for every 10 grams per deciliter (g/d) of ethanol, pure alcohol, consumed per day. This is the equivalent of one standard drink per day. In the U.S., one standard drink is considered a 12-ounce can of beer with five percent alcohol volume, a five-ounce glass of wine at 12 per cent alcohol volume or a 1.5-ounce shot glass of distilled spirits with 40 per cent alcohol content, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The team behind the new review wrote: 'These results clearly suggest that alcohol consumption is associated with a significantly increased risk of CRC at any age.' Experts believe when the liver breaks down ethanol, it creates the toxic chemical acetaldehyde, which damages triggers inflammation in the colon. This damages DNA and leads to uncontrolled cell growth. Alcohol also inhibits the body's ability to absorb folate, an essential nutrient for DNA repair. Low folate has consistently been linked to higher colon cancer rates. The review also evaluated the effect of smoking on colon cancer risk. Overall, the researchers found a 39 per cent increased risk of colorectal cancer in people who smoked cigarettes regularly compared to those who never smoked. 'Ever smokers', or people who have had at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, were at a 59 per cent increased risk compared to non-smokers or former smokers while current smokers were at a 14 per cent greater risk. Current smokers were shown to have a 43 per cent greater likelihood of developing a rectal tumor than those who never smoked, and colon tumors were linked to a 26 per cent increased risk. The researchers added: 'The results on smoking showed a significant association of smoking with EOCRC, while former smoking was not associated with EOCRC.' Smoking also exposes the body to thousands of carcinogens and free radicals that destroy healthy DNA and cause cells to mutate into cancer cells. There were several limitations to the new review, including the small number of included studies and data on alcohol and smoking was self-reported, leaving it subject to bias.
