Even one binge drinking episode is enough to cause serious health issues, researchers of a new study found.

People often assume that one episode of binge drinking would not affect their health, but the truth is it would. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Medical School found that even one such episode is enough to cause serious health issues. It results in the leaking of bacteria from the gut, which increases toxin levels in the blood. These bacterial toxins are called endotoxins. They are contained in the cell wall of certain bacteria that are released when the cell is destroyed. This leakage causes the body to produce immune cells involved in fever, inflammation, and tissue destruction.

"We found that a single alcohol binge can elicit an immune response, potentially impacting the health of an otherwise healthy individual," said lead author Gyongyi Szabo, in a press statement. "Our observations suggest that an alcohol binge is more dangerous than previously thought."

The study was conducted on 11 men and 14 women. All participants were given enough alcohol to raise their blood alcohol levels to at least .08 g/dL within an hour. Blood samples were then taken every 30 minutes for four hours after and again 24 hours later. Researchers noted that alcohol binge resulted in a rapid increase in endotoxin levels in the blood. This increase was more prominent in women than men.

The discovery of bacterial DNA in the bloodstream confirmed that bacteria had permeated the gut.

In January last year, researchers reported an increased risk of type 2 diabetes due to binge drinking as it induces insulin resistance.

Previous studies have established that the rate of binge drinking is higher among gay and lesbian teenagers than heterosexual individuals of the same age. A team of researchers looked into the mechanism behind this and found that unfavorable social conditions play a big role.

Funding for the new study was provided by the NIAAA, one of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health. The study was published in PLOS ONE.