Ozzy Osbourne's 'genetic mutation' explains his high alcohol and drug tolerance, claim scientist
Ozzy Osbourne's DNA has a genetic mutation, which is one of the main reasons why he had a high tolerance for alcohol and drugs, say scientists who examined his DNA. This claim was made in a new book titled 'Pleased to Meet Me: Genes, Germs and the Curious Forces that Make Us Who We Are'. The author, biologist Bill Sullivan, wrote, "Ozzy is indeed a genetic mutant."
According to the New York Post, this book is being published by National Geographic and will release sometime in September 2019. In 2010, scientists from Knome Inc. wanted to study the DNA of a remarkable human being and so they had reached out to Osbourne to understand what had helped the Black Sabbath singer live through decades of alcohol and drug abuse. This was what resulted in their findings, a genetic mutation. Sullivan also looks at the way ways we’re shaped by our DNA and biological factors that dramatically affect how our genes are expressed. A professor at the Indiana School of Medicine, Sullivan continues to write, "After all these years of thinking we were free agents, we’ve come to realize that most, if not all, of our behavior is not of our own volition." He also says that there is a gene variant for a sweet tooth, and similarly multiple genes affect if we would or wouldn't enjoy coffee.
The book also suggests that scientists can now tell a person's political affiliation by looking at their brain scan. They are able to do this because 'Conservatives tend to have a bigger amygdala, the part of the brain activated in fearful situations, while liberals often have a larger anterior cingulate cortex, the area involved in analyzing instinctive thoughts'. He continued to write, "However magical they may feel to you, your emotions are purely biological in origin."
Sharon Osbourne, Ozzy's wife, responded to the findings and said, "I've always said that at the end of the world there will be roaches, Ozzy and Keith Richards." Sullivan also says that "addiction has more to do with our DNA than our moral fibre." This was in reference to Osbourne's stint with addiction and rehabilitation and even Osbourne's beyond-real actions on stage including the time when he bit off the head of a bat, following which he had to get anti-rabies shots.
Earlier in 2019, Osbourne had to be hospitalized in the intensive care unit after he was diagnosed with the flu and bronchitis. He also had to cancel his European tour as doctors were worried about him getting pneumonia. The 70-year-old was later released from hospital.