ALCOHOL AND CANCER

Hi Healthies,

Alcohol and Cancer - getting rid of both is very difficult for an individual.  The consumption of alcohol is increasing day by day among different communities.  There are studies that proves that one drink for women and two drink for men is good for health, but more than that has highly destructive and damaging effects on your body.  Along with the motor vehicle crashes and other dangerous side effects of alcohol, it also increases the risk of cancer. 

In 2007, World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reviewed the scientific evidence on alcohol and cancer risk.  The research proved that that alcohol drinking is associated with cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colon, rectum, and female breast.  

The  risk of cancer associated with alcohol doubles with the use of tobacco with it.  If your are taking alcohol and tobacco together than the risk doubles than taking alcohol or tobacco alone.

Note - Even low amount of alcohol is dangerous for females.  It increases the risk of

breast cancer by 10 to 12 percent compared to the non drinkers (with each drink per day).  The risk increases even more with the deficiency of folate (Vitamin B compound) in women.  Alcohol and breast cancer is associated with the fact that drinking alcohol can increase circulating estrogen or other hormones in the blood, and hormones play a key role in the development of many breast cancers.

According to a research conducted by Cancer Prevention Study II (CPS II) from 1982 - 2008, men or women who drank 3 or more than 3 drinks a day has 36% more chances of getting pancreatic cancer, compared to non drinkers.  The percentage of risk increased 16% for those who ever smoked (Alcohol acts as a solvent that helps the body absorb other carcinogens, such as those found in tobacco).  These studies suggests that heavy drinker has high risk of pancreatic cancer.

Although the exact cause of association of different cancer with alcohol is not known, for cancers such as liver cancer, one reason involves acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical that the body makes when it breaks down alcohol. Acetaldehyde can directly affect normal cells by damaging DNA, which can lead to cancer. For other type of cancers, alcohol might adversely affect the metabolism of different nutrients that plays a role in reducing cancer risk.

The risk factor of alcohol does not depend upon the kind of alcohol you drink.  Even wine

has the same effect as that of beer or any other alcohol type.  Research shows that risk of cancer elevates with any kind of alcoholic drink, it does not matter what you drink.  The
standard size drink of any type — 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor — contains about the same amount of ethanol (about half an ounce). OBut yes, larger or 'stronger' drinks may contain more ethanol than this. 

Limit your alcohol consumption to 2 drinks for men and 1 for women and decrease it to even more if possible.  Most studies suggests that it is the ethanol that is responsible for the increased risk, not other things in the drink.

Some groups of people should not drink alcoholic beverages at all. These include: 

1) Children and teen should not take alcohol at all

2) If you have family history of alcoholism. Studies show that children of alcoholics have the same brain activity as family members which can put them at higher risk to develop alcoholism later in life

3) If you cannot control your alcohol intake

4) People who plan to drive or operate machinery 

5) Alcohol affects the attention and coordination of mind and body. So people who take part in other activities that require attention, skill, or coordination should avoid alcohol.

6) Some medicines get affected by alcohol.  So if you are on certain medication that get affected by alcohol consumption than you should not consume alcohol.

7) Pregnant women and others who are planning for it should not consume alcohol.

References

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/dietandphysicalactivity/alcohol-use-and-cancer

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/news/expertvoices/post/2013/06/26/does-drinking-alcohol-increase-the-risk-of-cancer.aspx 
http://www.eurocare.org/library/updates/increase_in_alcohol_related_cancers_despite_well_established_link
picture references
alcohol.ku.edu 
www.docbigs.net
www.glamour.com  
topnews.in