Drinking more than seven pints of beer a week causes alcohol to age your DNA, according to a new study.
A study conducted by Oxford Population Health has found that alcohol can accelerate our biological age.
Researchers found that those consuming more than the 17-unit threshold – equal to five large glasses of wine – were found to have ‘older’ DNA, the Mirror reports.
Findings determined that people who drank more than 17 units of alcohol week were found to have telomere shrinkage caused by alcohol.
Telomeres are DNA sequences which live at the end of chromosomes, which protect them from damage. People with longer telomeres are thought to have longer lifespans.
The top 40% of drinkers, who had more than 17 units a week, were found to have shortened telomeres, swab tests found. The other 60%, who drank less than 17 units, were genetically undamaged.
The study concluded that a person who drinks 14 pints a week is biologically three years older than one who has four.
Data from half a million Britons enrolled in the Biobank was used to look for genetic markers showing how much alcohol a person drinks.
Study lead, Dr Anya Topiwala from Oxford Population Health, said: ‘These findings support the suggestion that alcohol, particularly at excessive levels, directly affects telomere length. Shortened telomeres have been proposed as risk factors which may cause a number of severe age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
"Our results provide another piece of information for clinicians and patients seeking to reduce the harmful effects of excess alcohol."
The study further suggests that the premature ageing of DNA may be linked to the onset of other ageing-related diseases including cancer and coronary artery disease.
The NHS recommends drinking no more than 14-units of alcohol a week. This is equivalent to six pints of medium strength beer, or 10 small glasses of lower strength wine.
The full study is published in Molecular Psychiatry and can be read here.
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