Alcohol's effects on female puberty - The role of insulin-like growth factor 1

Research suggests that alcohol consumption during early adolescence may del ay the onset of female puberty. Alcohol's effect on sexual development is a ssociated with altered function of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Th is hormone, which is produced in the liver, travels through the bloodstream to the brain, where if helps coordinate overall physical growth with the m aturation elf the reproductive system. Long-term alcohol consumption inhibi ts the production of IGF-1 in the liver. Short-term alcohol administration alters IGF-1 function within the brain, ultimately suppressing the release of specific reproductive hormones that initiate puberty. Large proportions of young girls develop drinking habits that place them at risk for alcohol- related endocrine disorders at a crucial time in female pubertal developmen t.