A recent headline implicated epigenetics in our predisposition to alcoholism,but the evidence from the study is far from conclusiveThe Daily Mail recently ran an article about how alcohol abuse could harm future generations, via the (exciting-sounding) mechanism of trans-generational epigenetics. This is an emotive topic, and combining a commonplace habit (drinking beer and wine) with a scary outcome (harming your children,grandchildren and future generations) and adding a twist of science for gravitas. Its not surprising that this research has been handed a megaphone by the mainstream press – but does the science stack up?To start with, the research was carried out in rats, or as multi-generational experiments on humans are both grossly unethical and logistically extremely tough. This crucial bit of information is lost from both the Daily Mail headline and the paper’s title. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com