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According to scientists, drinking more than five glasses of wine per week leads to irreversible DNA damage and premature aging.
The study, published in the journal Nature, highlights the harmful effect of alcohol on telomeres, small pieces of DNA that cover the end of our chromosomes and which naturally shorten over time. But with alcohol, this process would be greatly accelerated.
Excessive alcohol consumption leads to premature aging
To arrive at this observation, scientists at the University of Oxford examined the genetic data of nearly 250,000 people.
Most were regular drinkers (only 3% of volunteers never consumed alcohol), aged 40 to 69.
Blood samples, alcohol-based questionnaires, and medical information were collected from all participants.
The length of their telomeres – the ends of the chromosomes that help protect the DNA sequence – was then measured.
The scientists then found a significant association between high alcohol consumption (more than 17 units per week, or more than five glasses of wine) and “shorter” telomeres compared to volunteers who drank very little (less than 6 units per week).
A shortening of telomeres, which was equivalent, according to the study, to premature biological aging – from three to six years.
“This finding suggests a threshold effect: in that a minimum necessary amount of alcohol consumption is required to damage telomeress,” the researchers reveal.
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The increase in oxidative stress involved
Scientists explain that this phenomenon could be linked to an “increase in oxidative stress” and “inflammation”, when the body processes alcohol.
Another interesting point: oxidative stress, in utero, could affect telomere length. Parental – and especially maternal – alcohol consumption must therefore be closely monitored, as it can impact the DNA of the fetus.
For all these reasons, the authors of the study recommend not to exceed the threshold of 17 units of alcohol per week (about five glasses of wine) to avoid the risk of DNA damage.