Drinking more wine than is healthy is something many of us are guilty of.
What do we worry about? Most likely the hangover the next day, the increasing waistline and, for the vain, the eventual staining of the old pearly whites.
But swigging copious amounts of wine had a far more shocking effect on a British man following an indulgent Caribbean break.
Ken Walker's excessive wine consumption resulted in a disease called porphyrias, which has been dubbed the "werewolf syndrome" for its range of symptoms, including sensitivity to daylight, excessive hair growth and loose nails.
The disease is a result of an accumulation of chemicals called porphyrins (purple-red pigments named from the Greek for purple) that, when accumulated in the skin, lead to multiple health issues.
There are seven main types of porphyria, four of which are acute.
There are a number of reasons for contracting the disease and high alcohol consumption, to Walker's misfortune, is one of them.
However, luckily for Walker, who regaled his story in British paper the Daily Mail , he stopped his inner werewolf in its tracks, by laying off alcohol, after which his health returned — much to the relief of his wife, no doubt.
For more information on porphyria visit www.porphyria.org.uk
YOUR SAY:How has drinking alcohol impacted your health?
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