While
it has been well documented that chronic drinking increases gut permeability, a
new study has found that even a single episode of binge drinking has this
damaging effect. Increased gut
permeability negatively impacts health by allowing harmful bacteria to migrate
into the small intestines where they produce toxins, called endotoxins. Both the bacteria and the endotoxins travel
into the bloodstream, compromising immune function and increasing inflammation
in the pancreas, liver, and other organs.
Chronically increased endotoxin levels have been found to be one of the
primary drivers of the development of alcoholic liver disease.
Binge
drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) to 0.08g/dL or above. For a typical adult, this pattern
corresponds to consuming five or more drinks for men, or four or more drinks
for women, in about two hours.
In
the study, 11 men and 14 women were given enough alcohol to raise their blood
alcohol levels to at least .08 g/dL within an hour. Blood samples were taken
every 30 minutes for four hours after the binge and again 24 hours later.
The
researchers found that the alcohol binge resulted in a rapid increase in
endotoxin levels in the blood and evidence of bacterial DNA, showing that
bacteria had permeated the gut. Compared to men, women had higher blood alcohol
levels and circulating endotoxin levels. Of the results, principle investigator
Dr. Gyongyi Szabo stated, “We found that a single alcohol binge can elicit an
immune response, potentially impacting the health of an otherwise healthy
individual. Our observations suggest
that an alcohol binge is more dangerous than previously thought.”
What to do: If you drink alcohol, do so in
moderation. For healthy adults, that
means up to one serving of alcohol a day for women and up to two servings a day
for men. A serving of alcohol is defined
as 12 oz. of beer, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz of spirits. Typical portions of drinks often exceed these
amounts so one glass may contain 2 servings or more.
Adapted from articles available at:
Source:
Bala
S, Marcos M, Gattu A, et al. Acute binge
drinking increases serum endotoxin and bacterial DNA levels in healthy individuals.
PLoS ONE, 2014; 9 (5): e96864 DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0096864.
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