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Posted on Jan 25, 2003, 11 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Drinking alcohol could cause a powerful surge in testosterone levels in the brain and blood of some people, say researchers from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Dr Robert H Purdy and colleagues found that alcohol triggered a rapid increase in testosterone levels in the brains and blood of some male rats.
Drinking alcohol could cause a powerful surge in testosterone levels in the brain and blood of some people, say researchers from the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Dr Robert H Purdy and colleagues found that alcohol triggered a rapid increase in testosterone levels in the brains and blood of some male rats. Purdy suspects that this increase in testosterone levels could account for the aggressive behavior that some people display after drinking. The finding is in direct contrast to previous research, which have shown that alcohol consumption often leads to a dip in testosterone levels. While it is clear that alcohol does have an effect upon levels of the hormone, how alcohol can both lower and raise testosterone levels remains uncertain.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research 2003;27:38-43
