Red Wine Preventing Cancer

Alcohol has the ability to damage cells in the body, and a plant compound called resveratol may kill the cells after being damaged. Although the body has the ability to fix damaged genes, an excessive amount of alcohol may disable the repairing. Therefore, an increased amount of alcohol intake has been associated with and increased risk of head and/or neck cancer. Resvertol, however, can kill cancerous cells, thus decreasing the effects of cancer.

Although an excessive amount of alcohol increases the chance of head and neck cancer, red wine contains resveratol and this enables the body to kill harmful cells. Resveratol is found in grape skins as well as in red wine. A biochemist at the University of Colorado, Dr. Robert Sclafani, stated that the destruction of genes from alcohol can be used beneficially with red wine. Resveratol kills the cells with damaged DNA.

Studying the genetic disorder Fanconi anemia allows researchers to discover the effects of alcohol on the body. This disease is extremely rare, affecting only 1 in 350,000 infants. Without the disease, the tangles that naturally form in DNA (called cross links) are untangled with genes. With the disease, people are not able to untangle the cross links. The amount of DNA damage yields an increased risk of cancer. The cause of cancer in Fanconi anemia are very similar to the cause of cancer from alcohol. In both cases, the body is unable to metabolize alcohol by transforming it to acetyl aldehyde. In addition, aldehyde dehydrogenase is not able to transform the acetyl aldehyde to acetic acid. If the dehydrogenase isn't functioning properly, acetyl aldehyde builds up, and is toxic. Acetyl aldehyde is one cause for the cross links in DNA that may lead to cancer.

Statistics have shown that people who drink red wine are less likely to develop cancer. This shows researchers and oncologists that there must be a reason for this phenomenon.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141203161134.htm

Supporting Article: https://www.yahoo.com/health/exactly-why-red-wine-helps-prevent-cancer-104364418107.html

The Science of Addiction

The number of drug users in the United States today is over 15 million according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This astonishing statistic grows daily along with the amounts of drugs that are used. The lost path of the users at one point matched the lost path of the scientists looking for answers about addiction. Within the past decade, studies have increased in finding specific genetic information in regards to drug addiction. There are currently 11 chromosomes that have connections to substance addiction. In addition, there has been a connection with addiction in certain genes as well including GABRA2, ANKK1, neurexin 1, neurexin 3, and aldehyde dehydrogenase. These chromosomes and genes that have been studied display a connection amongst more than one specific substance. For future studies, scientists hope to find more information on the genes connected to this issue as well as the nature of each of them.

The use of genetics in addiction studies could help to eliminate these upsetting statistics. In the future, scientists could use these genes connected to addiction in order to help find better treatment options. Currently, many treatment options are pharmaceuticals that are not fixing the solution as addicts are still able to manipulate these drugs. Through the isolation of these genes, hopefully more natural cures could be found as well as preventative options for those predisposed to powerful substance addictions.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310142912.htm