Ask the Doctor (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Exercise - full transcript

[Dr Shalin Naik] People
love to celebrate.

Parties, milestones, sporting events.

There's often a common thread
running through all of them.

Booze and lots of it.

Thanks, mate.

But while our drinking culture is
sometimes regarded as a badge of honour,

just how big a toll is it taking
on our bodies?

- Cheers, guys.
- Cheers.

In this episode, we ask the question,

how much is too much?

- Cheers, everyone.
- Cheers.



I explode some popular myths about alcohol
over a boozy lunch,

with some surprising results.

- So you're three times...
[laughter]

- ...over what he is.
- I'm quite shocked.

Sandro finds out if alcohol
can ever be good for you...

What researchers found was that
many of the past studies

made the same fundamental error.

...and Renee investigates whether binge
drinking is destroying young lives...

It's confronting, it can be heartbreaking

and sometimes it can be dangerous
for everyone involved.

...as we discover the truths
around alcohol and our health.

[Dr Shalin] Drinking alcohol is one of our
favourite pastimes.

But the reality is
that this social activity

has some pretty sobering ramifications
for our health.



So I'm about to take part in an experiment
with five other people

to find out what actually happens
to our bodies

over a two-hour lunch that involves a fair
amount of, you guessed it, alcohol.

- Hey, guys!
- Hey. How are you?

- How you going?
- Yeah, great.

Looking forward to the lunch?

- Ooh, yeah.
- Absolutely.

Each of us will drink six 100-mil glasses
of wine or champagne,

with the same alcohol content,

over a two-hour period,

to try and answer some of the universal
questions about binge drinking.

Joining in to the 'spirit'
of this gathering

are twins Addison and Dale.

I've lost count of how many
binge-drinks I've had, ever.

Um, but no, I definitely... I am aware
of the effects of binge drinking.

I know it's definitely not good for you.

Today, Dale will enjoy a big lunch

while Addison will only be given
a handful of corn chips,

as we hope to discover if eating a big
meal affects your blood alcohol level.

Good mates Alex and Jacqui
are ready to find out

if bubbles do get you intoxicated
more quickly than still wine.

While my own 82-kilogram body --
I mean, temple --

will be compared to Lisa's
petite 52-kilogram frame

as we investigate two other
common beliefs,

that size matters when you drink

and that females are more at risk.

Yeah, I think it's very interesting about
size and gender

and how much each person can drink
and what your alcohol reading would be.

Six drinks is probably
the usual night out.

I probably have more than that,
actually, so... [laughs]

On medical standby today
is professor Ed Ogden,

an addiction specialist

who is also a Scout leader.

And as we know, they're always prepared.

See you all on the other side.

Cheers.

[Ed Ogden] Well, it's a very interesting
assignment I've been given today,

supervising a group of people
drinking more than they should

over a lunch.

It's not truly a scientific experiment

but there'll be some interesting
lessons to be learnt.

- You're a glass-half-full kind of person.
- I try to be!

[laughter]

[Ed] One of the things about
working in a drug and alcohol clinic

is you do see the worst effects
of alcohol consumption.

Of all the drugs available,

this is the one that causes
the most problems.

[conversation, laughter]

[Dr Shalin] Just one warning.

This is definitely not
drinking in moderation

and we're not suggesting
you try this at home,

because as Renee is about to discover,

alcohol is running up a huge health bill

and we're all paying the price.

[siren wails]

[man groans]

[Dr Renee] This is
the emergency department

at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne.

It's Saturday night

and emergency staff all over Australia

are inevitably going to have to deal with
someone who has either been binge-drinking

or has chronic alcohol abuse.

Now, this is not a new environment for me.

I work in emergency departments and I've
seen the effect of alcohol on people.

It's confronting, it can be heartbreaking

and sometimes it can be dangerous
for everyone involved.

[woman groans]

On the front line is Dr Simon Judkins,

the Clinical Director
of Emergency Medicine

at Melbourne's Ausin Hospital

and the President Elect

of the Australasian College
for Emergency Medicine.

He's also a dedicated supporter
of the Melbourne Demons.

What's it gonna be like tonight?

Well, it's like, it's a Saturday
and it's busy

and so, you know, there's
a bit of a sense of trepidation

'cause you never really know
what it's gonna be like.

- Could be a great shift...
- I know that feeling!

...could be a challenging shift -
we just don't know.

Get the hell out of the way!

Oi, go this way, man!

But right now, this medico
is as mad as hell

about the Australian attitude
to binge drinking.

[Dr Simon] We all know
it's a massive problem.

I think the thing that really distresses
me and my colleagues

is that it's a cultural norm to go out
and drink as much as you can

and the next day you wake up and your
mates give you a pat on the back and say,

"Well done! You had 36 drinks
and that's a record!"

So, you know, that's a real problem
we need to change in Australia.

[Dr Renee] Research shows that every day,

alcohol claims around 15 lives

and puts more than 400 Australians
into hospital.

That's a staggering national total

of more than 5,500 lives lost yearly,

four times the Australian road toll.

[Dr Simon] So, it's the binge drinking
that gets the headlines

but we also see the other side of it,

so that's that longer-term effects
of chronic alcohol abuse.

It's liver disease, pancreatitis,

there's the neurological problems,

people with head injuries who get,
you know, chronic brain injury

and there's the social impacts, I suppose,
which we haven't touched on either.

It's the families, the homelessness, etc,

so that's the long-term impact
on the healthcare system,

which is, you know -- really drains
healthcare dollars and resources as well.

What do you think is the main message

you'd want to tell people
who are drinking?

Enough is enough.

I mean, you know, we see some horrific
injuries, we see domestic violence,

we see all sorts of bad things
happening to people

and the sad thing is
that it's preventable.

[Dr Renee] It's pretty clear
that for a so-called social substance,

the impact of this stuff
can be scarily antisocial,

which made me want to ask:

[Dr Shalin] With so many of us
consuming alcohol regularly,

me and my lunch buddies are testing
some common beliefs

about what happens to our bodies
when we drink excessively.

[Jacqui] You're getting through
that wine, Lisa!

Thank you, thank you!

Myself and Lisa will eat
exactly the same meals...

Ooh!

...and drink exactly the same amount
of white wine,

to find out if body size and gender
makes a difference.

[laughter]

Jacqui and Alex will do the same

but compare bubbles to flat wine.

Our identical twins, however,

are having the same amount of red wine

but very different meals.

Aww!

Hands off, guys. Hands off.
Don't eat it all at once!

Addison is only getting a snack.

[Shalin] Mate, I'm so sorry!
- Oh, well.

Thanks for taking one for the team.

Look at that burger! [moans]

His brother, lucky Dale,
is getting a burger, chips...

Oh, #foodenvy!

[laughter]

...and a nacho salad,

to demonstrate whether
eating a substantial meal

does help slow down the absorption rate
of alcohol into the bloodstream.

[Ed] So, how are you feeling,
after one drink?

I have to say, honestly,
a little bit tipsy.

[laughter]

[Ed] Well, it'll be interesting to see
what you're like after six, won't it?

Yeah.

Our special guest sommelier
is in fact Professor Ed Ogden,

our medicine man on standby.

He'll also be in charge of the
breath-testing,

to measure just what's happening to us.

Alcohol is, in fact, a depressant.
It's a sedative.

It slows the brain down.

It works in the same part of the brain
as the tranquillisers,

so its appeal, the reason that people
feel that it gives them energy,

is that it's taken away
some of their inhibitions

and we refer to this as 'Dutch courage'.

Drink number two. Drink sensibly.

- Drink number two!
[laughter]

- Cut.
[laughter]

[Dr Shalin] We're only two drinks in

and it's definitely starting to hit me.

The first round of breath-testing
is going to be intriguing,

after one hour and three drinks each.

One continuous blow.

Jacqui has been on the sparkling wine

and will be comparing her reading to Alex,

who's been sipping flat wine.

Jacqui's drinking wine of the same
alcohol concentration

but it has bubbles

and the bubbles
encourage the stomach to empty,

therefore the bubbly wine
will get to the intestine faster,

will be absorbed faster.

I'd expect her to have
a higher blood alcohol sooner

than if she were drinking a still wine.

[Ed] 0.055.

[Jacqui] Only just!

So Jacqui has recorded 0.055.

Now it's Alex's turn.

[device beeps]

0.058.

So, why has Jacqui returned
a lower reading,

despite drinking the bubbles?

Well, this is just one example

of how everyone's personal level
of tolerance for alcohol is different,

with so many genetic, physical
and social factors coming into play.

OK. So, when you're ready.

But what about size and gender?

Let's see what's happening
with 52-kilogram Lisa...

[laughter]
- Stop it!

...compared to 82-kilogram me.

[device beeps]

- I knew it. I knew I would be.
- 0.063.

[Shalin] 0.063?
[Ed] Yeah.

That's a big number after three drinks!

One continuous breath.

That's it.

0.043.

So yes, size does matter.

[Ed] Because the alcohol goes into those
parts of our body which are water,

so a big person, by definition,
has more water than a little person.

And gender matters because women
have a different body composition.

They have more fat and therefore
less water for the same body size,

therefore the same amount of alcohol
will give them a higher blood alcohol,

because you're putting it
into a smaller bucket.

And what about the food factor?

It's time to test the twins.

First up, Addison,

who's had very little to eat.

[Ed] Prediction?

I'm a bit full from lunch.
I think that could help.

[laughter]

[Shalin] All those corn chips!

I'm gonna go out on a whim
and say I'll be right to drive.

[Ed] 0.031.

[Shalin] Now we all want to know

how big an effect that burger
will have on Dale's reading.

[device beeps]
- And it made a difference.

- 0.022.
[Shalin] 0.022!

[Dale] Wow.

[Shalin] Yes, that burger
appears to have done its job

and in this case,
showed that food does matter.

[Ed] Food affects
the absorption of alcohol

because most of the absorption
is happening in the intestines

and the alcohol will get to the intestines
more slowly,

therefore a later peak
and it will be lower.

- So you're three times...
- OK!

...over what he is!

- It's unbelievable.
- Yes, there's a burger involved

but still, if you were going
drink for drink

and didn't take those factors
into account...

It's quite amazing, really.
I'm quite shocked.

- Cheers, guys!
- Cheers.

[Shalin] Yes, it's looking like

this little shindig is going to
have consequences

and that's something
many of us know about.

[snoring]

[groans]

[Dr Renee] Hangovers are our body's way
of telling us we drank too much.

And thus begins Gary's search for a cure.

First, he reaches for bacon.

But sadly, there's no scientific evidence
to support the curative effects of bacon,

or any other typical food remedy.

Gary is also super-thirsty,

in part because
the diuretic properties of alcohol

boosted his urine production
as he partied

but also because,
as he was drinking booze,

he wasn't drinking any water.

However, while it's likely

that dehydration does cause
some of the symptoms of a hangover,

like dizziness and light-headedness,

there's a whole lot of other stuff
going on.

One theory involves
the complicated process

of getting booze out of our bodies.

As our liver breaks down alcohol,

one of the bi-products is acetaldehyde,

a compound estimated to be up to 30 times
more toxic than alcohol itself.

In controlled studies,

acetaldehyde has been shown to cause
sweating, nausea and vomiting,

which all sound about right
for a bad hangover.

So, now that you know some of the things
that might be causing your hangover,

what have you learnt for next weekend?

That the only cure for feeling this bad

is not drinking to excess?

Oh, dear, Gary.

You are a slow learner.

Gary's not the only one
who doesn't have a stop button.

But how many drinks do you have to consume

to be officially called a binge drinker?

8? 9? 10 or more in a single sitting?

Guess again.

Now, serving sizes vary

but a standard drink
of full-strength beer, for example,

is 259 mils.

And the Australian Bureau of Statistics
defined binge drinking

as more than seven
standard drinks a night for men

and more than five for women.

But if you're wondering exactly
what a moderate amount of alcohol is,

respected health organisations describe it

as no more than one standard drink per day
for women of all ages and men over 65

and no more than two drinks a day
for men aged 65 and under.

Anything more than four drinks
in one sitting

is regarded as risky drinking.

And talking about risk,

do you ever wonder whether alcohol
actually does destroy brain cells?

Well, studies show that alcohol doesn't
actually kill the brain cells

but it can affect brain function.

Alcohol acts on the nerve cells
of the brain.

Information leaps from one brain cell
to another

in the form of chemical messengers
called neurotransmitters.

They're a bit like the postman

and alcohol messes with
their delivery of the mail,

which leads to things like slurred speech

and not being able
to operate your legs properly.

Cheers.

But what happens to young brains that are
being exposed to a lot of alcohol?

Brains that are not fully formed
until the age of 25 or even later?

I'm about to meet two scientists...

Hi! Lindy and Maree?

...who are currently trying to prove
just what binge drinking is doing

to our adolescents.

The dynamic duo are brain researcher
Professor Caroline Rae

and drug and alcohol researcher
Professor Maree Teesson.

Caroline loves growing native flowers

and Maree coaches
her daughter's soccer team.

The professors are studying
a group of 60 teenagers,

aged 16 to 17.

Their brains are being scanned in an MRI

to determine whether excessive alcohol
is causing any damage.

How hard was it to get the 60 people?

Um, look, there were some challenges
in getting 60 kids in to the scanners,

rather than being down at the beach.

It's always nice to have proof
that you have a brain, so...

Yes, yes. Proof you have a brain!

In this study, half the participants
are binge drinkers,

despite being
under the legal drinking age.

The other half, the control group,
are non-drinkers.

[laughs] How you goin'?

Studies show one in six
Australian 16- and 17-year-olds

are now involved in binge drinking.

The evidence that we're particularly
looking for with these scans

is changes in the brain's structure.

So, the adolescent brain changes
on a daily basis.

It rewires itself. It is in
an active building process.

One of the things that it is doing

is laying down insulation
on the major nerve pathways --

so it's like Telstra going out and putting
more insulation on their cables --

and if you have better-insulated cables,

they conduct the messages a lot faster,

so the question is,

if you're going out and soaking your brain
regularly in large amounts of alcohol,

what effect is that actually having
on how you lay down your insulation

and how your brain starts being
able to talk to various parts of it?

We might see changes
in the chemistry of the brain.

We're also looking at the size
of various parts of the brain

and how that changes over time

and whether it's affected by alcohol.

[Dr Renee] And do you think that
binge drinking in adolescence

is changing their brains?

At the moment, the evidence seems to be
supporting to that being the case.

Um, we're not sure yet.

There's certainly evidence
from studies overseas

suggesting that it does.

But if these two scientists
do come up with proof,

this study will have far-reaching
implications

and could help to change teenagers'
attitudes to binge drinking.

[Dr Renee] Do you think
that you can beat the alcohol problem?

I think that with the power of research

and I think with the passion
of young people,

with those two things together,

I actually think Australia
could lead the world in this space.

But is the message getting through
about the potential dangers of alcohol?

We took to social media

to find out if more of you are
cutting back on your drinking

or even giving up booze altogether.

[Dr Sandro] There's been
a bunch of research over the years

that suggests drinking a regular,
moderate amount of alcohol

could be a little bit
good for your health.

In the past, we've been told some of the
possible benefits from moderate drinking

include a reduction in the risk of
cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes

and even a longer lifespan.

[cheering]

But before you start
congratulating yourself,

we need to take a much closer look
at the evidence.

In 2016, a massive new analysis
of past alcohol studies was conducted.

It covered 87 studies that looked at
almost 4 million participants

and spanned multiple decades.

What researchers found

was that many of the past studies
made the same funamental error.

They mixed up lifetime non-drinkers

with those who used to drink,
sometimes quite heavily,

but had since given up

and labelled them all 'non-drinkers'.

When they accounted for this difference,

the evidence suggesting moderate drinkers
can live longer, healthier lives

was simply no longer there.

[sighs]

While we might want to feel OK
about the alcohol we drink,

if we're guided by the evidence,

there really is no safe amount.

And if we're using our hearts
or our lifespans to justify drinking,

we're just kidding ourselves.

And besides, there are much better ways

to use wine to improve
your cardiovascular health.

[lively music]

[Lisa] Last drink, guys!

[Dr Shalin] It's been nearly two hours

and our lunch is about to finish.

It's pretty clear the alcohol
is now really kicking in.

We're much louder and much funnier --

well, we think we are, anyway.

You're living up to my earlier prediction
that people who've been drinking

talk more but it means less.

[laughter]
- Snap!

With the hand-brake
now off our inhibitions,

we're tackling the big issues.

So, Professor Ed, is there any truth
to the golden seal?

The golden seal is the theory

that after your first pee, you feel like
peeing more often thereafter.

We all feel like it's a thing
but is there any reality to it?

I have no idea. I've never come across
any real research on that.

Oh.

Not very helpful, Ed.

Well, apparently the golden seal,
also known as the broken seal,

is a thing -- not literally, of course.

Alcohol gets to work in your hypothalamus
and pituitary gland,

where it mainly stops the production
of anti-diuretic hormone.

That hormone is what tells your kidneys
to conserve water

and without it,

you simply get rid of more and more,

resulting in a need to wee a lot.

Peeing is one thing

but overdoing the giggle juice can have
other devastating implications

in, of all places, the boudoir.

There's... there's a Shakespearean line...

- Oh, god. Here we go.
- ...that is pertinent here.

- Uh-oh.
- After a few drinkeths.

[laughter]

"It provokes the desire
but it taketh away the performance."

[laughter]

Gentlemen, just so you know,

researchers have found
that too much alcohol

can cause us blokes to suffer
temporary erectile dysfunction.

Houston, we have a problem.

So, on that discouraging note,

let's have our final round of testing.

[Ed] OK. Let's see how you're going.

Remember, we've downed
six standard drinks over two hours

but we have eaten different meals.

[Ed] Are you ready?
[Alex] I'm ready.

First up is Alex.

She ate a salad and drank white wine.

Her reading has climbed to 0.114.

[Alex] Hey!

Will Dale and his burger
continue to amaze the group?

[Dale] The suspense is killing me.

- Oh.
- Oh!

Wow. 0.027.

Yes, indeed.

- That's crazy.
- That is insane!

[device beeps]

But what about his food-deprived
twin brother?

- Oh.
- Much lower.

[Ed] 0.049.

At 0.049, Addison's just under
the legal driving limit

but almost double his brother's reading.

It's important not to look at Dale

and think that because he was
below the legal limit

that he's safe to drive.

There is no safe limit

for alcohol and driving.

- Are you ready?
- OK.

Big breath.

Petite Lisa had the same to eat and drink
as myself and Alex

but is definitely showing the most
outward signs of intoxication.

-Aah!

[laughs]

Turns out the breath test agrees.

- Fun. Aah!
- Whoa!

The reading is 0.124.

[Lisa] That's insane!

Jacqui's confident that her reading will
be a lot lower than both Lisa and Alex.

- Ooh!
- Whoa!

[Shalin] She's way...

I'm surprised, because
I feel fairly clear in my mind.

But that's the problem,
is that how you feel

is not a really good predictor
of how you'd perform.

As for me...

[device beeps]

That's it. Done.

- Oh! Oh, no.
[chuckles]

[whistles]
- What is it?

[Ed] 0.078

- Ooh.
- Whoo!

0.078.

Which means I'm in a lot worse shape
than the twins.

So we've all been surprised by the huge
difference in the breath test results.

It goes to show, if you're
going to drink alcohol,

accompany it with a good meal.

[laughter]

As Professor Ed predicted,

alcohol affected the women more

and most of us weren't really aware of
just how impaired we had become.

Ladies, gentlemen, it has been an absolute
pleasure to get to know you

over this long lunch.

I mean, maybe the time will come

when we can move past alcohol
as our social lubricant

and be social and loving
in the absence of alcohol.

[Shalin] Careful down the stairs!

It's been an enlightening demostration
to be involved in

and I think we've certainly illustrated
that more than four drinks in one session

can indeed be risky.

[Shalin] Who wants to go to karaoke?

[women cheer]
- Yeah!

The health ramifications of alcohol

are far from a laughing matter.

It's frightening that it could be
stopping some young brains

developing to their full potential.

But thanks to these scientists,

their research could save lives.

[Dr Renee] That's a very big ask.

It certainly is.

It certainly is but I think
it's a bigger ask

if we let so many young people
die of binge drinking.

That is a bigger tragedy.

And while it's a drug with the power
to make us feel good at the time,

the impact it's having on our health

has far more consequences
than we ever thought.

What we want to make people aware of,

that it doesn't take long to go from hero
to zero.

Speaking of heroes...

No, I didn't make it to karaoke.

Gary, are you still here?

Go home, Gary.
Really.