Drunkness is caused by genes

Scientists have discovered a gene that makes alcohol on the human brain very fast, leading to some people getting drunk quickly by drinking alcohol.

Illustration.

When drinking alcohol, some individuals get drunk faster than others. Telegraph said scientists from the University of North Carolina in the United States invited 237 students in the school to participate in a study to see if the ability to drink alcohol is related to the genetic structure. The students participating in the study had an alcoholic parent, but they themselves were not addicted.

The team gave the students a cup of a mixture of alcohol and carbonated soft drinks. The alcohol content in the mixture is equivalent to three glasses of wine. After the students drink a cup, the research team asks to see if they feel drunk, alert or sleepy.

Results of the earliest intoxicated gene analysis showed that they all carried a gene called CYP2E1 . This gene is in chromosome 10 and causes alcohol to build up very quickly. People who drink a lot of alcohol do not have CYP2E1.

' We found a gene that could prevent humans from becoming alcoholics. The remarkable thing is that the effect of that gene is quite strong , "said Professor Kirk Wilhelmsen, the research leader.

Wilhelmsen added that alcoholism is an extremely complex syndrome and that people can be addicted to alcohol for many reasons. So not carrying CYP2E1 can be just one of them.

Because CYP2E1 carriers are more susceptible to alcohol when drinking alcohol, they are more likely to become alcoholics than non-carriers. The team found that about 10 to 20 percent of the world's population carries a certain version of CYP2E1.