Alcohol Can Cause Irreversible Genetic Damage To Stem Cells, Says Study (theguardian.com)

A new study, published on Wednesday, states that drinking alcohol produces a harmful chemical in the body which can lead to permanent genetic damage in the DNA of stem cells, increasing the risk of cancer developing. From a report: The research, using genetically modified mice, provides the most compelling evidence to date that alcohol causes cancer by scrambling the DNA in cells, eventually leading to deadly mutations. During the past decade, there has been mounting evidence of the link between drinking and the risk of certain cancers. "How exactly alcohol causes damage to us is controversial," said Prof Ketan Patel, who led the work at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. "This paper provides very strong evidence that an alcohol metabolite causes DNA damage [including] to the all-important stem cells that go on to make tissues." The study builds on previous work that had pinpointed a breakdown product of alcohol, called acetaldehyde, as a toxin that can damage the DNA within cells. However, these earlier studies had relied on extremely high concentrations of acetaldehyde and used cells in a dish rather than tracking its effects within the body.

Comments

Re:Six (pack) of one, half a dozen of the other

[Megol]

There's a reason one should listen to scientists doing proper blind (preferably double-blind) studies over personal experience - at least mostly:
The placebo effect is very strong.

So why the "mostly" part? Because people and how they work physically and mentally can have large differences making a general study non-applicable.

Not in this case though.

Re:Anyone?

[hey!]

Simple answer: you need the opinion of an objective, qualified third party who has spent some time with you face to face evaluating your specific situation. What you don't need is opinions from Internet randos. Nor is it a good idea to rely on some kind of guided self-assessment. If you don't have a substance abuse problem your self-assessment would be reliable, but if you *do* then it's one of the first things to go.

Generally if something causes you distress (including worry and undue concern), and that distress does not go away on its own after a short time, that represents *some* kind of mental health problem. What you have may be a substance abuse problem, a personality disorder (like obsessive-compulsive personality disorder), or quite possibly nothing at all but a normal, passing concern. I can't tell you which it is, nor can anyone else here.