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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Alcohol Hurts

Researchers released the latest findings on such negative effects of alcohol during a meeting Nov. 19 of the Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group, held at Loyola University Medical Center.

ScienceDaily (Nov. 11, 2010) — Alcohol can do much more harm to the body than just damaging the liver. Drinking also can weaken the immune system, slow healing, impair bone formation, increase the risk of HIV transmission and hinder recovery from burns, trauma, bleeding and surgery.
At Loyola, about 50 faculty members, technicians, post-doctoral fellows and students are conducting alcohol research. Studies at Loyola and other centers could lead to therapies to boost the immune system or otherwise minimize the effects of alcohol, said Elizabeth J. Kovacs, PhD, director of Loyola's Alcohol Research Program and associate director of Loyola's Burn & Shock Trauma Institute.
"Of course, the best way to prevent the damaging effects of alcohol is to not drink in the first place," Kovacs said. "But it is very difficult to get people to do this."
Sessions at the conference included Alcohol and Infection, Alcohol and Oxidative Stress and Alcohol and Organ Inflammation. Findings were presented by researchers from centers around the country, including Loyola, Cleveland Clinic, University of Iowa, University of Colorado, University of Massachusetts, Mississippi State University, Chicago State University and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
The conference was supported by Loyola's Alcohol Research Program and Department of Surgery at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, the Society for Leukocyte Biology and the NIAAA

ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2010) — There has been an abundance of research on the effects of alcohol on the brain, but many questions regarding how alcohol impairs the built-in control systems are still unknown. A new study released in the January 2011 issue ofAlcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, which is currently available at Early View, explores that subject in detail and found that certain brain regions involved in error processing are affected more by alcohol than others.
According to Beth Anderson, a postdoctoral fellow at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Centre at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut and lead author of the paper, this research is only the first step in a much larger process."Alcohol is widely consumed in our society today. We know it alters behavior, but surprisingly it is not well studied at the brain level. Once we understand how it is altering the brain, we can better inform the public of the consequences of drinking alcohol."
The researchers gave 38 volunteers different doses of alcohol to establish a breath alcohol concentration of zero for the control group, 0.05 per cent for moderate intoxication, or 0.1 per cent for a high level of alcohol intake. Then, once the alcohol was given enough time to cause intoxication, the volunteers participated in a Go/No-Go reaction test, where either the letters "K" or "X" were displayed on a screen with specific instructions to only press a button when an "X" was displayed.
In the experiment, there was no significant data between the control and moderate intoxication, but there were some very interesting results discovered between the control and high dose testing. After receiving the highest level of alcohol, individuals were found to have an increased reaction time, more errors and an overall decrease of successful trials.
According to Anderson, the lack of data regarding the moderate doses of alcohol was likely due to the fact that the participants were able to partially compensate for the effects of the alcohol. However, following the higher dose, individuals would have had a much more difficult time achieving that. "The increased reaction time was likely an attempt to compensate for their impairment. They may have slowed down in an attempt to keep from making more errors."
However, these results still yield more questions regarding the mystery of how alcohol impairs the control centers of the brain, and only more research will be able to help solve this complicated problem.
"We know [alcohol] alters behavior, but surprisingly, it is not well studied at the brain level," Anderson said. "Once we understand how it is altering the brain, we can better inform the public of the consequences of drinking alcohol.

When have you first started drinking? What brought you into drinking? What do you feel about it now after reading this post? Do you know people who are heavy drinkers and have the symptoms of the latter?
 

47 comments:

  1. It's funny because alcohol is way more dangerous than most illegal drugs lol

    I've definitely shaved a few brain cells off drinking vodka =D

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  2. I enjoy my glass of wine at each meal(it's been proof as a strong anti-oxidant), anyways I don't really understand why people become heavy drinkers, we all know the risks.

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  3. It is a good thing I don't drink alcohol at all.

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  4. I started at the age of 15, because it was cool. Now, like 10 years later, I almost don't even taste it. Maybe a beer once a month

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  5. Well, my friends got me into drinking by peer pressure, but after a few times I realized that the fun in being drunk is temporary and the consequences could be nasty. I don't really drink much, only on social occasions really. If you consider it from a purely logical standpoint, intoxicating yourself is pretty stupid.

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  6. I first started drinking around 15.
    Friends.
    I'm going out drinking tonight.
    ?

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  7. I started drinking young i guess 14-15 like every other kid. I guess we all started because it was the cool thing to do (stupid i know) and you know the parties, girls, etc. I am fully aware about the damage that alcohol can make, i dont plan to stop drinking though as i dont drink much.
    Thankfuly i dont know any heavy drinkers, if i did i might forward em this.

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  8. After reading that it may concern me now but when I go to a party i'm not gonna be the buzzkill and not drink.

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  9. I started drinking young, but I don't drink much. Just more facts showing how strange it is that alcohol is perfectly legal but weed isn't.

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. I enjoy all information health and wellness related...keep it up!

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  12. Oof, didn't need that wake up call haha. But i suppose i should realize that anyway, since drinking makes you feel so rough the next day.

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  13. I started drinking at the age of 16, but i only drink occasionally so i'll be fine ;)

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  14. Over drinking is bad but a drink here and there is nothing to be afraid of.
    Plus there's alcohol that does more good than bad; red wine for example.
    I like your posts, Scrubby. Keep 'em going.

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  15. Wow very informative! It's a good thing i dont drink and probably never will.

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  16. This is intriguing, I started drinking when I was 19, I think. I'm still just an occasional drinker, having a couple beers with my buds on the weekend.

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  17. i think alcohol is a cancer of the new world, and it sucks for body, low testosterone level, etc.

    but it is damn good, lol

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  18. maaaan, this, *hic* iss smme preety yous full stuff *hic*

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  19. I started drinking when I was about 17. I don't drink nearly as much now I as I used to. I drink about once a week. I do know a couple of heavy drinkers and they look really unhealthy.

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  20. Alcoholism is a horrible disease.

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  21. I just drink wine on the weekends for the antioxidants.

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  22. All of this negative information and alcohol is one of America's favorite drugs? I've got nothing against people consuming alcohol at a responsible rate, you know, but I still don't see why they prefer the less potent, more dangerous drugs.

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  23. i tried to drink, but just cant get past the taste.

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  24. Great blog, i like it so much =D

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  25. Alcohol is said to be more harmful than opiates as long as they're not contaminated with other agents

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  26. I enjoy alcohol. But then again, I did spend yesterday throwing up and feeling ill. Sooo...

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  27. So what harmful effects does marijuana cause? hmmm?

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  28. Awesome read thanks so much for sharing. Followed.

    Follow me on my blog you might enjoy it! :)

    http://zackgaming.blogspot.com/

    -Zack

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  29. I don't drink alcohol and I never will. Theres just no need for it.

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  30. i feel better just reading this. thanks

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  31. I shouldn't be reading this on a Friday night.

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  32. That's one of the reasons I don't drink anymore. Not even at parties

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  33. hhehe nice blog u got here! loads of information to learn new stuff, thx for dropping by and commenting on my blog, im following u now! :)

    xx
    Erika
    http://www.erika-t.blogspot.com

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  34. I'm not a heavy drinker, probably never will be. Hell, I'm barely a drinker at all. I enjoy some homemade mead, and once in a blue moon with do some harder drinking socially.

    I know alcohol is a poison, but I support your right to drink it. Same with tobacco. I enjoy my pipe tobacco, and I don't care if it's not healthy. Neither is coffee, soda, strong tea, or red meat, but it's still socially aceptable to consume those.

    This social stigma against alcohol and tobacco is ridiculous. I hope it's a transitory phase in our culture, before we see the return of prohibition.

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  35. Alcohol is more dangerous then some illegal stuff,and yet its still legal..

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  36. i drinked with my friends for the first time, i wanted to taste it, thats why i drinked, i dont drink often and i like an healthy life.

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  37. I'm 22 and don't drink at all. I always get to be DD! lol

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  38. As every other nerve poison it can be really dangerous. rethink your daily beer!

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  39. I enjoyed it when I was younger, now I do cocktails and stuff, btw the new post from my blog is about that xD

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  40. red wine and beer in small quantities are quite healthy ; )

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  41. I started around 14. Drinking and partying all the way up through college and into the military... had alot of fun... but don't do it so much now...

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  42. I don't drink (don't like the taste), but this article doesn't surprise me. Alcohol is a lot worse for you than some illegal drugs. I really don't understand why it's acceptable to drink, but other, less harmful drugs aren't acceptable.

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  43. First started when I was 15, stopped completely a couple of years ago

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  44. I like you blog. +Followed
    In my opinion, I see alcohol as a better choice to some other things and if you are responsible with it, you should have no problem. Even driving half sleep is worse than driving drunk. Again, I do not condone driving drunk, just saying.

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  45. oh snap! then i got i real problem :P

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