A new study highlights the harmful effects of binge drinking on the body. The “express biture” to which more and more young people indulge would reduce the growth of their not yet finished brain.
A new study points to the side effects of alcohol on the health of young people. According to researchers from the Oregon Health & Science University (United States), binge drinking (i.e. a massive and short-term alcohol intake most often taking place at student parties) would reduce the growth of their brain. These results were published in the journal in Euro.
To reach this worrying conclusion, the scientists studied the brains of 71 adolescent or young adult macaque monkeys who had voluntarily ingested ethanol or an alcoholic beverage. The scientists measured this consumption, their diet and their hygiene habits. They were thus able to observe a reduction in the volume of very distinct cerebral areas of 0.25 ml per year per gram of alcohol drunk. In humans this corresponds to about four beers a day.
“Chronic alcohol intoxication reduced the development of the brain, the cerebral white matter (a category of tissue of the central nervous system, editor’s note) and the subcortical thalamus (the latter plays a role in sensory, sensory and engines, Editor’s note)”, specifies the study.
Does adolescent binge drinking affect lifelong learning abilities?
And while previous studies have shown that the brain has the ability to at least partially recover after alcohol cessation, the long-term effects on the mental functions of someone who drank too much in their youth remain uncertain. “This is the age group where the brain is fine-tuning to adapt to adult responsibilities”, explains Tatiana Shnikto, lead author of this work. “The question is: does exposure to alcohol at this time alter individuals’ learning abilities for life?” she asks. Anyway, “binge drinking in adolescence has already been associated with an increased risk of falling into alcoholism later in life”, recalls the study.
A few years ago, a European study had already shown the impact of binge drinking on the cerebral white matter of young people. On the cognitive tests of the participants, the effects were observed by a lesser working memory (which makes it possible to retain information and hold a reasoning) and by less good capacities for learning and understanding. The researchers also found that boys were much more affected than girls.
Binge drinking very popular among young French people
In addition to the adverse effects of “express biture” on cognitive performance, another study has also highlighted its impact on the physical health of young people. According to her, young adults practicing binge drinking would have on average higher blood pressure than the others by 2 millimeters of mercury for monthly drinkers, by 4 millimeters for weekly drinkers.
These results are all the more worrying as binge drinking is practiced by many young people in France. According to a survey conducted on health and consumption on the occasion of the defense preparation call (Escapad) carried out in 2017, more than half of young people have been drunk during their lifetime and more than a quarter reportedly experienced at least three drunken episodes during the year. Occasional drinkers have been on the rise since 2007.
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