Can hormones cause women to drink more alcohol?

Excessive consumption ofThe wineThe wine Is it related to estrogen in women? This is stated in a study published in the journal. Nature Communication On December 30, concretely, the presence of large quantities ofEstrogenEstrogenA hormone produced by the ovaries and linked to the menstrual cycle, will make women drink more alcohol, especially in the 30 minutes after the first sip.

Already in 2021, Dr. Kristen Pleil, associate professor of pharmacology Weill Cornell Medical (New York), and his team showed that a subgroup of neurons in a brain region called the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) was more excitable in female rats than in males, an activity more alcohol-induced. associated with the use of

Dry January: Challenge that looks good.#Sante @DryJanuaryFR @dryjanuary https://t.co/ApFUUjUjLi pic.twitter.com/DXt0lxqRZi

— UNSA (@UNSA_officiel) January 3, 2025

Excessive alcohol consumption during estrogen peaks

To explain this mechanism, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine monitored hormone levels throughout the cycle (4-5 day estrous cycle) in female mice. Why go this way? “Estrogen has such powerful effects on many behaviors, especially in women,” Dr. Palil said in a press release. “So it makes sense that it also modulates alcohol consumption.”

This is how female rats were given alcohol: the researchers discovered that the higher their estrogen levels, the more alcohol they drank. and this ” BulimiaBulimia BNST was indeed associated with increased neuron activity. “When a woman takes her first sip of alcohol, these neurons go crazy” Dr. Palil explained. “And if she has high estrogen levels, they go even crazier.” This increased neuronal activity would encourage female rats to drink more, especially within 30 minutes of the first sip.

A cure for managing alcoholism?

The scientists further succeeded in showing how estrogen modulated mouse behavior. It binds to receptors on the surface of neurons, where it directly modulates communication between cells. “We believe this is the first time that anyone has shown that during a normal estrous cycle, estrogen endogenousendogenous Such a rapid mechanism may be used to control the behavior produced by the ovary.Dr. Palil said.

Thus, stoppingEnzymeEnzyme which synthesizes estrogen when hormone levels are at their highest may be a treatment for excessive alcohol consumption. This drug is already approved. FDAFDA For the treatment of women with hormone-dependent cancers. “Combining this drug with compounds that modulate the downstream effects of chemicals produced by BNST neurons could potentially provide a new targeted approach to treating alcohol use disorders.” Dr. Palil guessed.

A New Light on Women’s Attitudes Toward Alcohol

“We know very little about what causes alcoholism in women because most studies have been done on men.” Dr. Kirsten Pleil said. And this despite the fact that women are more sensitive to the negative effects of alcohol on health than men.

Excessive alcohol consumption can have serious consequences. In the short term, this affects judgment, which increases risk.AccidentsAccidentsinjuries and careless behavior, while causing distress. GastroGastro– Bowels and disturbances to sleepto sleep.

In the long term, alcohol increases the risk Cardiovascular diseasesCardiovascular diseasesOf CancerCancer (especially the breast and FoieFoie), and liver diseases such as CirrhosisCirrhosis. It can also cause neurological disorders, affect memory, perceptionperception and mood, with increased risks of depression and anxiety. As a reminder, alcohol kills 41,000 people every year in France.