2 days Ago By Ashima Sharda Mahindra
Alcoholic drinks should carry cancer risk warning labels, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has said in a report. According to Dr. Murthy, alcohol directly contributes to 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 related deaths each year.
The report says there is a direct link between alcohol consumption and at least seven types of cancer, including breast, colorectal, liver, and mouth. An estimated 16.4 per cent of total breast cancer cases are linked to drinking alcohol.
“Many people out there assume that as long as they’re drinking at the limits or below the limits of current guidelines of one a day for women and two for men, that there is no risk to their health or well-being,” Dr. Murthy said in a statement. “The data does not bear that out for cancer risk.
” While research has shown a link between alcohol and cancer, “the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk,” he said. Even though bottles of beer, wine, and liquor already carry warning labels that say pregnant women should not drink and that alcohol consumption can impair someone’s ability to drive a car, Murthy’s proposed label would go even further, raising awareness about the risk for cancer, too. How does alcohol cause cancer? Doctors say drinking alcohol is linked to an increased risk for several cancers.
According to the National Institutes of Health, around 5.5 per cent of all new cancer diagnoses and 5.8 per cent of all deaths from cancer are attributed to drinking alcohol.
There are many reasons why alcohol can increase your cancer risk. A few include: Acetaldehyde Alcoholic beverages are loaded with ethanol and when your body breaks it down, it becomes acetaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen. According to doctors, the compound damages DNA and cells from repairing the damage, thereby allowing cancerous cells to grow.
Hormonal effects Alcohol affects the levels of hormones like estrogen, which act as messengers that tell body cells to grow and divide. And the more these cells divide, the chances that something will go wrong and cause cancer increase. Reduced nutrient absorption Alcohol makes it harder for the body to absorb and use nutrients that protect it from cancer.
These include vitamins A, B1, B6, C, D, E, K, folate, iron and selenium. Weight gain Alcohol consumption means more calories than your body burns, which leads to weight gain. Doctors say excess weight is linked to over 12 types of cancer.
Does drinking less reduce the risk of cancer? According to experts, if you enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages, it becomes hard to decide how to proceed. And so, regarding cancer risk, the less you drink, the better. The best way to reduce cancer risk is not drinking alcohol; drinking less can have a positive impact.
Cutting back one drink is a risk reduction, but the greatest risk reduction is going from three drinks to zero. For those trying to quit alcohol consumption, you must try nonalcoholic beer or wine or opt for a mocktail or cocktail with only a splash of alcohol and make several days a week alcohol-free. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.
.
