full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Céline Valéry: The dangers of mixing drugs

Unscramble the Blue Letters


Alcohol can also alter the fcuotnin of the enzyme that breaks down Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in pain relievers like Tylenol and paracetamol. When someone takes Acetaminophen, some of it is convtered into a txoic substance. At the recommended dose, there isn’t usually enough of this toxic byproduct to cause harm. But heavy drinking can alter enzyme atcivtiy so more of that bdpcyurot is produced, potentially caiusng liver damage even with what’s usually a safe dose of acetominophen.

Meanwhile, the herbal remedy Saint John’s Wort increases the liver’s production of a particular enzyme. That manes the drugs this eymnze is responsible for breaking down get metabolized faster— sometimes too fast, before they can have their therapeutic effects.

Open Cloze


Alcohol can also alter the ________ of the enzyme that breaks down Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in pain relievers like Tylenol and paracetamol. When someone takes Acetaminophen, some of it is _________ into a _____ substance. At the recommended dose, there isn’t usually enough of this toxic byproduct to cause harm. But heavy drinking can alter enzyme ________ so more of that _________ is produced, potentially _______ liver damage even with what’s usually a safe dose of acetominophen.

Meanwhile, the herbal remedy Saint John’s Wort increases the liver’s production of a particular enzyme. That _____ the drugs this ______ is responsible for breaking down get metabolized faster— sometimes too fast, before they can have their therapeutic effects.

Solution


  1. activity
  2. toxic
  3. enzyme
  4. byproduct
  5. causing
  6. converted
  7. means
  8. function

Original Text


Alcohol can also alter the function of the enzyme that breaks down Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in pain relievers like Tylenol and paracetamol. When someone takes Acetaminophen, some of it is converted into a toxic substance. At the recommended dose, there isn’t usually enough of this toxic byproduct to cause harm. But heavy drinking can alter enzyme activity so more of that byproduct is produced, potentially causing liver damage even with what’s usually a safe dose of acetominophen.

Meanwhile, the herbal remedy Saint John’s Wort increases the liver’s production of a particular enzyme. That means the drugs this enzyme is responsible for breaking down get metabolized faster— sometimes too fast, before they can have their therapeutic effects.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
drug interactions 5
blood thinners 3
pain relievers 2
internal bleeding 2
prevent blood 2
potentially causing 2


Important Words


  1. acetaminophen
  2. acetominophen
  3. active
  4. activity
  5. alcohol
  6. alter
  7. breaking
  8. breaks
  9. byproduct
  10. causing
  11. converted
  12. damage
  13. dose
  14. drinking
  15. drugs
  16. effects
  17. enzyme
  18. fast
  19. function
  20. harm
  21. heavy
  22. herbal
  23. increases
  24. ingredient
  25. liver
  26. means
  27. metabolized
  28. pain
  29. paracetamol
  30. potentially
  31. produced
  32. production
  33. recommended
  34. relievers
  35. remedy
  36. responsible
  37. safe
  38. saint
  39. substance
  40. takes
  41. therapeutic
  42. toxic
  43. tylenol
  44. wort