Why A Binge Drinking Habit Isn’t Really Your Fault

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Drinking makes life fun, so it’s very hard to stop.

And as it turns out, it’s not really your fault that it’s so hard to say no to alcohol; scientists have found that there’s a type of brain cell which operates like a ‘push’ button to stop drinking. The issue is that alcohol shuts down the receptor in your brain that helps you remember your limit, and fuels a different receptor in your brain that actually tells you to keep drinking.

The study was created to determine the way the brain reacts to repeated exposure to addictive substances. Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine had already known from previous studies about D1, a dopamine receptor in the brain which is considered a crucial decider in the question of how one drink always leads to another. This time, they activated the D2 in animal brains — mice specifically, — the receptor which signals your brain to stop ingesting things that are bad for you. When they did, drinking behavior was inhibited.

Not sure if it’s really ethical to give mice alcohol for the sake of experiments, but hey, one cause at a time, right?

At least that’s what study author Jun Wang seems to think.

“I hope these findings will eventually be able to be used for treatment for alcohol addiction,” she said.

So do we, Jun, so do we.

Gimme More Health

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