Drinking too much alcohol works the first time. Binge drinking promotes the transmission of bacteria and toxins in the blood, which alters the immune system.
A single massive alcoholism harms the immune system. A study published on May 24 in PLOS One concludes that a “binge drinking” session (here defined as at least 5 glasses in 2 hours) is sufficient to act on the bacterial balance of the intestine by making it more permeable.
Several studies have shown that in chronic alcoholism, the permeability of the intestine is stronger. This promotes the transmission of bacteria into the bloodstream, which increases the level of bacterial toxins circulating in the body. On the other hand, few studies had looked at this subject in the situations of massive and rapid alcohol consumption. “This study shows that a single session of binge drinking can lead to damage, such as the leakage of bacteria from the intestine into the bloodstream”, summarizes Dr George Koob, director of the National Institute on Abuse. alcohol and Alcoholism, which depends on the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Toxins that stay a long time
Although these effects are transitory, they are nonetheless bad for the body, insofar as they persist longer in the blood than alcohol. The body reaches its peak blood alcohol level an hour after taking ethanol, which declines rapidly. Bacterial DNA is found in the blood for up to a day after drinking. This promotes the release of endotoxins, which peak quickly – 30 minutes after alcohol absorption – and remain at a stable level for 4 hours. In this situation, they disrupt the immune system, which releases excess immune cells during a flare-up, inflammation or tissue destruction.
These results are of concern to researchers. “A single drinking bout can trigger an immune response, which can impact the health of a normally healthy individual. Our observations suggest that excessive alcohol consumption is more dangerous than previously thought, ”concludes Dr. Gyongi Szabo, Associate Dean of the University of Massachusetts School of Medicine and co-author of the study. . An affirmation which should encourage the most inveterate revelers to be cautious and moderated.
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