Alcohol Drinking and Risk of Cancers

A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of developing cancer. Some people with several risk factors never develop the disease, while others with no known risk factors do. However, knowing your risk factors and speaking about them with your doctor may aid you make more informed routine and health care choices.

Alcohol:

Repeated and substantial alcohol drinking raises the danger of developing cancer in the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. Using alcohol and tobacco together upsurges this risk even more

Various studies have proved this.

Few Basic Queries:

Acetaldehyde and how can it cause cancer?

Alcohol (ethanol) in body is converted into a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. Ethanol is broken down mainly by the liver, but lots of other cell types can do this as well. Some of the bacteria that reside in our mouths and the linings of our guts are also able to convert ethanol into acetaldehyde.

          Alcohol causes DNA damage ?

Alcohol causes production of Reactive Oxygen Species (Highly reactive molecules) in our cells. These molecules can harm the DNA and thereby stopping our cells from repairing this damage which results in development of cancer.

Acetaldehyde also causes liver cells to grow faster than normal. These

regenerating cells are more likely to pick up changes in their genes that could lead to cancer. Also, drinking lots of alcohol can cause a disease called cirrhosis due to liver cell architectural destruction. Cirrhosis can make you more likely to develop liver cancer. 

Alcohol’s effects on estrogen and other hormones?

Alcohol can upsurge the levels of some hormones, such as estrogen. Hormones act as envoys in the body, giving our cells directions such as when to split. Unusually high levels of estrogen intensifies the risk of breast cancer.

How much alcohol will increase your cancer risk?

• There’s no ‘safe’ edge for alcohol when it comes to relation with cancer, but the risk is less for people who drink within the government guidelines.

Why is it worse to both drink and smoke?

• People who drink and smoke have more than normal risk of for cancers, since tobacco and alcohol multiply the damage to the cells of the body. Alcohol makes it easier for the mouth and throat to absorb the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco.

Binge drinking once a week or spreading my drinking across the week?

• Research has shown that it’s the amount of alcohol person drinks in total that is related to head and neck cancer risk. Consuming alcohol increases the risk whether you drink it all in one go or a bit at a time.

So, new health guidelines clearly states that Alcohol drinking especially Heavy and Binge is not good for health !!