http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131205142127.htm
http://www.fastcocreate.com/3018853/infographic-what-beer-and-coffee-do-to-your-brain-and-which-makes-you-more-creative
Monday, December 9, 2013
Coffee or Beer? The Choice Could Affect Your Genome
A team of researchers at Tel Aviv University's Department of molecular microbiology and bio technology have discovered that the genome of certain kinds of yeast that share many genetic similarities with humans is affected by caffeine and alcohol. Telomeres are the endpoints of chromosomal DNA, and are made of DNA and proteins. Researchers have found that caffeine shortens and alcohol lengthens the telomeres. Telomeres are critical for ensuring that DNA strands are repaired and copied the right way. During replications the chromosomes are copied into the new cell, the telomeres shorten slightly. When the telomeres become to short, the cell dies. The only cells that have a mechanism for avoiding the shortening of telomeres are fetal and cancer cells. The yeast cells were exposed to 12 other environmental stressors, like temperature and pH, but they had no effect on the telomere length. They did find that when exposed to a low concentration of caffeine, similar to the amount found in a shot of espresso, that the telomeres are shortened. When the yeast cells were exposed to 5-7% ethanol, the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, the telomeres had lengthen. TAU researchers scanned 6,000 strains of yeast. They conducted genetic tests on strains with the longest and shortest telomeres, that showed that two genes, Rap1 and Rif1, are the main players mediating the environmental stressors and telomere length. More research will need to be conducted, to observe wether human telomeres will respond the same way the yeast telomeres have.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131205142127.htm
http://www.fastcocreate.com/3018853/infographic-what-beer-and-coffee-do-to-your-brain-and-which-makes-you-more-creative
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131205142127.htm
http://www.fastcocreate.com/3018853/infographic-what-beer-and-coffee-do-to-your-brain-and-which-makes-you-more-creative
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This was really interesting to read up on since I was unaware that either one of these substances had the ability to effect the lengths of our telomeres. The fact that alcohol allows the human brain to relax to the point where is can concentrate on creativity was also a different approach to a very common hobby of most humans. I had always felt that alcohol dis-inhibited the brain. As far as the caffeine goes, I am well aware that it can wake you up but I did not know it was because it prevented the binding of adenosine.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that caffeine shortens the telomeres, and that the cell dies in its telomeres are too short, makes me glad that I am not a coffee drinker and have given up sodas. It was very interesting to know that alcohol can make you more creative, as I have a friend who paints and drinks alcohol occasionally, and t is speculated that many prolific authors were prone the drinking. If research is conducted and tests for human teleomeres come out the same way as yeast telomeres, then alcohol in some extent could possibly be used to boost creative thought processes.
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