IT'S easy to get carried away when you’re drinking.
One ‘quick glass of wine' at the pub on a weeknight after work can sometimes all too easily spiral into a whole bottle – or perhaps even two.
But for some people, it feels as if the willpower to stop vanishes every time they take a sip of booze.
A new study from scientists at The Florey Institute at The University of Melbourne, Australia, has found a potential explanation for why this happens, especially in women.
They discovered a part of the brain involved in controlling hunger may also play a role in binge drinking.
The research, published in Nature Communications, focused on a part of the brain called the “centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal”; (EWcp).
This region is known to receive signals from gut hormonesthat affect hunger, but researchers now suspect it may also influence alcohol cravings.
Working with mice, the team found that when they blocked the receptor in the EWcp that tells the brain it's hungry, “specifically in the EWcp, reduced binge drinking in female, but not male mice,”; lead author, Dr Leigh Walker, said.
The NHS defines binge drinking as ‘drinking heavily over a short space of time’.
More than six units in a single session for females, and eight for men is the technical definition, according to Drinkaware.
That’s equivalent to about three pints of normal-strength beer for a woman and four for a man.
Previous research has linked binge drinking toliver and heart disease, certain cancers, brain damage, and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Dr Walker explained that this discovery is part of growing evidence showing male and female brains are “fundamentally different”.
She said: “Understanding these differences may help provide more tailored treatments for women, and people assigned female at birth.”
Historically, most addiction research has focused on males, but Dr Walker emphasised the importance of studying how females experience addiction differently.
“Most animal research and drug development is built around identifying and testing therapies in males,” she said.
“But it’s important to prioritise research on the neural mechanisms contributing to alcohol use disorder in females.”;
Better treatment
Amy Pearl, one of the study’s authors, said that understanding sex differences is critical for developing effective treatment strategies.
“Men have historically had higher rates of alcohol use, misuse and alcohol use disorder compared to women.
“But these rates have converged significantly over recent decades, driven mainly by an increase in risky drinking and alcohol use disorder in women.”;
“Better understanding the biological differences between male and female brains better equips us for developing more targeted treatments.
“This research further highlights the underlying biological differences between male and female brains and gives a new pathway to explore for potential treatment options.”
The harms of binge drinking
The NHS defines binge drinking as ‘drinking heavily over a short space of time’.
More than 8 units of alcohol in a single session for males, or more than 6 units in a single session for females is the technical definition, according to Drinkaware.
That’s equivalent to about four pints of normal strength beer for a man or three pints for a woman.
When you binge drink, other than getting drunk, your heart rate and blood pressure will rise. It can cause irregular heartbeats, known as arrhythmias.
Alcohol increases stomach acid production – queue the nausea and potentially vomiting.
You're also likely to experience impaired judgement, coordination, memory blackouts and poor decision making.
This could lead to accidents, falls, drownings and other mistakes.
Long term, binge drinking can cause acute liver damage and increase the risk of chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Cardiovascular problems include cardiomyopathy – which is when the heart loses the ability to pump blood efficiently – and an increased risk of stroke.
Over time, binge drinking can contribute to permanent brain damage. This may present as a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression.
Binge drinking can also lead to alcohol dependence, or “addiction”.
