According to the figures of World Health Organization320,000 young people between the ages of 15 and 29 die from alcohol-related causes, which account for 9% of total mortality in this age group. According to a preliminary study by researchers at the University of the Basque Country and the Autonomous University of Nayarit in Mexico, drinking alcohol on weekends could also affect DNA.
While the main studies on alcohol have focused on people who consume it regularly, this study, published by the journal Alcohol, examines for the first time the effects of alcohol consumption in healthy young adults. Scientists tried to determine the level of oxidative damage (to proteins, membranes and genes) in two groups of people between the ages of 18 and 23.
44% of cells damaged
The first group drank an average of 1.5 liters of alcohol each weekend, while the second did not consume any alcoholic beverages. Result: The study found that the membranes of cells in the first group suffered twice as much damage compared to the group that did not drink.
Specifically, only 8% of cells were damaged in the control group, compared to 44% in the group that drank, reports the site. Medical News Today. Overall, the researchers conclude that oxidative damage affects young adults who have only been drinking alcohol for 4-5 years.
