We all know the dangers of alcohol. There is virtually no part of the body that alcohol cannot affect. The most recent study continues to show the dangers of binge drinking, most specifically among youths.
Binge drinking is very popular among college students in the United States. It also is becoming more popular among even younger children in parts of Europe. The Europeans are alarmed by the increase in binge drinking and have undertaken a number of studies. One recent Spanish study revealed that binge drinking by those 18-20 affects their ability to learn new information when it is transmitted to them verbally.
The Spanish study also showed the genetics played no role in whether or not the student’s learning ability was affected by binge drinking. It didn’t matter whether you had a family history of alcoholism or a family of teetotalers, binge drinking affected all groups.
Hippocampus
The part of the brain primarily affected by binge drinking is the hippocampus. This region of the brain plays a pivotal role in learning and memory and appears to be susceptible to the effects of heavy alcohol consumption.
While Southern European countries tend to have young drinkers who drink more often, but moderately, the Northern European countries like Germany, Finland and Norway have seen soaring binge drinking rates.
They can do studies for years and years and the conclusion always will be the same – alcohol is a poison. It would seem that overindulging on a poison might be hazardous to your health!