Alcohol

Living with Cancer

Alcohol

Be it wine, beer, liquor, or any type of alcohol; there is always an increased risk of cancer to it like tobacco.

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing the following types of cancer:


Over for a long time, if the person drinks, the risk of developing these cancers is also higher, especially for the 
larynxesophageal, and oral cavity cancers. The reason is that there is direct contact of alcohol with the tissues.

Reasons for Cancer Risk Increase Due to Alcohol

Some possibilities of cancer risk due to alcohol are as follows:

  • The increased risk can be related to ethanol and acetaldehyde chemicals that can change the DNA of healthy cells. Ethanol is the first part of alcohol, and Acetaldehyde gets formed when the body digests alcohol.
  • For women before menopause and taking menopausal hormone therapy, the breakdown of the hormone estrogen is necessary. Alcohol consumption may alter the breakdown of estrogen hormone resulting in secretion of more estrogen in the blood, which is the risk factor for breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers. 
  • Alcohol consumption affects the body’s ability to process and absorb essential nutrients and vitamins like vitamin A, C, D, E, FolateCarotenoids. Also, alcohol causes obesity, which increases cancer risk.

Recommendations for the Consumption of Alcohol

The following are some steps to decrease the risk of cancer from consuming alcohol:

  • For women, limit alcoholic beverage consumption to no more than one drink a day. For men, limit it to no more than 1 to 2 drinks a day.       

    
Here A drink means:

    • 5 oz or 142 ml of wine. 
    • 1.5 oz or 43 ml of 80-proof liquor. 
    • 12 ounces or 341 milliliters of beer.
  • Another best advice is to stop heavy drinking at a time. Like for women, heavy drinking means consuming four or more drinks and for men consuming five or more drinks because binge drinking brings higher risks of cancer even if you do not take very often.
  • Follow these measures for red wine also because it is not sure that there is no possibility of a cancer attack due to consuming red wine. Also, avoid both alcohol and tobacco products for avoiding risks of certain types of cancers.
  • There is also more possibility of risk of cancer if you drink less than the recommended amount. If you consume lower levels of alcohol, also you need to face effects. So, consult your doctor for recommendations, and it is advisable to stop consuming alcohol altogether.

Cancer recurrence

Cancer Recurrence is the phenomenon of the return of cancer. The study conducted on breast cancer survivors shows that moderate alcohol is not a reason for the risk of recurrence. And other types of cancers are limited. However, the highly advised suggestion is to stop heavy drinking of alcohol due to their higher risks of cancer.

If you are one of the cancer survivors, consult your doctor about how much alcohol you need to stop drinking to decrease the effects on your long-term health.

In the United States, smoking is the reason for the cause of disease and also early deaths. Over the years, smoking gets decreased in the U.S., and its alternatives get popularity.

Examples of smoking alternatives include water pipes, smokeless tobacco, and E-cigarettes.

These alternative tobacco products come with harmful chemicals, and toxins show adverse effects on your health in 2019 usage of vaping causes a significant outbreak in the United States of severe lung disease. Probably the causes for this outbreak can be nicotine or THC products that get sold on the streets at that time. And as a concern of people’s health, it is advised to avoid these vaping devices.