Even One Night of Heavy Drinking is Harmful

It has been established that excessive alcohol consumption can lead to chronic ailments but this new research brings out something surprising. According to a latest study conducted by University of Massachusetts Medical School, just one night of heavy drinking can cause certain bacteria to leak from the gut - causing an increased level of toxins to build-up in the blood. Even if you're not a daily drinker but find yourselves hungover on most weekends, this research comes as a statutory warning, especially for females. Researchers have warned that occasional indulgence can cause permanent damage to health. "We found that even a one time episode of binge drinking can elicit an immune response, potentially impacting the health of an otherwise healthy individual," said Gyongyi Szabo, a professor of medicine at University of Massachusetts. The toxins released after binge drinking can cause the body to produce immune cells involved in fever, inflammation and tissue destruction. To reach this conclusion, researchers provided 11 men and 14 women enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol levels. They found that the high levels of alcohol resulted in a rapid increase in endotoxin levels in the blood. Endotoxins are toxins contained in the cell wall of certain bacteria that are released when the cell is destroyed. (More: Binge drinking increases risk of diabetes) Compared to men, women had higher blood alcohol levels and circulating endotoxin levels, the study noted. They also found evidence of bacterial DNA in the bloodstream showing that the bacteria had permeated the gut. (More: An emerging technique that can stop binge drinking) Five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women, in a span of about two hours, can be classified as binge drinking.