How your genes affect addiction to drinking

Can the history of your family (genes) affect how you drink or how much you drink? Perhaps this is true. Science has proven that there are certain aspects that help to connect the use of alcohol with your genes.

Hangover Symptoms

Nobody likes a hangover, right? New evidence suggests that there is a strong link between the frequency of hangovers and genes. Such information was recently placed in one scientific journal. It turned out that those drinking people who took part in the study and kept vivid memories of all cases of a terrible hangover had relatives who struggled with alcohol dependence. If your hangover brightly persists in your mind and memory, then try to refrain from drinking alcohol.

Sensitivity to sulfites

Sulphites are chemicals that are present in the wine and are used in the food industry to extend the shelf life of products. People with sensitivity to sulfites experience allergic reactions, ranging from mild to life-threatening respiratory symptoms, skin rashes and diarrhea. "Wine asthma" occurs after a person with sensitivity to sulphites drinks a glass of wine or beer. The results of the studies, presented in numerous articles on allergy and asthma, show a genetic predisposition to allergic reactions to wine. If the older members of the family have trouble breathing after drinking wine, then it is likely that their relatives also fall into the risk group.

The first use of alcohol in life

The early onset of alcohol use in many is associated with so-called disorderly drinking. In other words, a person who starts drinking alcohol at a young age is at increased risk of facing serious problems, namely alcohol dependence. Genetics also plays an important role here. One of the journals published the results of the study, which involved more than 7,200 people who started drinking alcohol, marijuana and tobacco at an early age. The findings are disappointing: most have a strong genetic predisposition. Accordingly, the descendants of these subjects are also at risk of similar problems.

Infertility in men

If you are a guy and are trying to conceive a child with your chosen one, then abstaining from alcohol is the right decision. Based on the results of numerous studies, it can be said that the quality of sperm becomes worse with the constant use of alcohol, and its quantity decreases. Genetic material in sperm cells is damaged due to high doses of alcohol, and the mobility of spermatozoa decreases. The good news: if you stop drinking, a quick and significant improvement in the quality of the sperm will not be long in coming.

Gout

Gout is a painful inflammation of the joints, usually seen in the legs. As a rule, the pathology is aggravated due to the high content of uric acid in the blood. People suffering from gout, it is recommended to adhere to a special diet (it is desirable to eat red meat and some seafood) and avoid drinking alcohol. Dietary changes do not always reduce the level of uric acid in the blood, and medical treatment is required. Scientists have discovered a genetic link between alcohol consumption, sex and uric acid levels in African Americans. The level of uric acid in women was increased due to alcohol consumption. If your family has flashes of gout after drinking alcohol, then there are high chances that this can affect both you and the offspring.

Predisposition to alcoholism

Is alcoholism inherited, do the genes have this influence? This issue has been plagued by scientists for many years. Many researchers have studied this problem in detail, and the results indicate a strong genetic predisposition to alcohol abuse. One review article in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism, published in 2016, provides comprehensive information on this issue, as it were, summarizes. It states that there are irrefutable evidence of the genetic component, but a certain constituent part of the gene that predates alcohol abuse has not yet been determined.

Development of cirrhosis of the liver

Cirrhosis (compaction of liver tissue) and, as a consequence, dysfunction or failure of the body occurs after many years of alcohol abuse. But this does not happen to every alcoholic. One medical journal analyzed the data indicating a possible genetic connection, that is, about which alcoholics are at risk of developing liver cirrhosis. In short, if you have a relative with cirrhosis caused by excessive drinking, then you risk being exposed to such a disease.