Heavy drinkers of beer and spirits face a much higher risk of developing cancer, according to three epidemiologists and cancer researchers from Montreal, whose results were published in the journal “Cancer Detection and Prevention.”
The researchers found statistically significant relationships between heavy consumption of beer and spirits and six different cancers: esophageal cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer.
People who drank the most increased their risk of developing oesophageal cancer sevenfold, colon cancer by 80 percent and lung cancer by 50 percent.
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2009, there will be 152, 170 new cancer cases in California, made up of 16,470 esophageal; 21,130 stomachl 106,100 colon; 22,620 liver; 42,470 pancreatic; 219,440 lung and 192,280 prostate cancer cases.
On the bright side, the researchers found that generally, people who drank less were affected less or not at all.
“It is people who drink every day or multiple times a day who are at risk,” Dr. Andrea Benedetti said in a press release.
The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans defines moderation as ” the consumption of up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.”
There are other problems associated with heavy alcohol consumption.
“Students who drink excessively have higher rates of injuries, assaults, academic problems, arrests, vandalism, and other health and social problems, compared with their non-drinking counterparts,” according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
How often do you drink and have you noticed any impact on your relationships, academic or athletic performance? Do you consider the health consequences when drinking?