Are you doing Dry January? If so, well done – and how’s it going? Let us know – I hope you’re feeling great. Annabel and I aren’t doing it – more on our age-well reasons for having the occasional glass of wine below. But some compelling evidence for giving up the booze altogether was published earlier this week.
It’s known that there is a link between alcohol and cancer – the latest report reveals more about why. Research published in the journal Nature found that consuming alcohol caused healthy stem cells to become faulty – and it is damaged cells which can become cancerous. It seems that Acetaldehyde, the chemical produced when the body breaks down alcohol, can damage DNA within the blood stem cells. This permanently alters DNA sequences, making the cells more vulnerable to cancer.
“Some cancers develop due to DNA damage in stem cells. While some damage occurs by chance, our findings suggest that drinking alcohol can increase the risk of this damage,” said Ketan Patel, a professor at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, who co-led the study.
The World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, putting it in the same league table as asbestos and tobacco. Which is a sobering (sorry) thought. Research has labelled alcohol consumption a direct cause of seven forms of cancer: of the liver, colon, rectum, larynx, oropharynx, oesophagus and breast. Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire announced this week that she is working with alcohol and cancer charities in the hope that graphic warnings – like those on cigarette packets – can be put on cans and bottles of wine, beer and spirits, warning drinkers of the links between alcohol and cancer.
So why are we at Kale & Cocoa still having the occasional glass of wine? Well, there’s a body of evidence that suggests that wine – particularly red wine – has more general longevity benefits. Residence of the Blue Zones (the areas of the world with the greatest number of centenarians) – tend to have alcohol as part of their culture – robust local wines in Ikaria and sake in Okinawa for example.
Cardiologists such as Professor Roger Corder, professor of experimental therapeutics at the William Harvey Research Institute, believe that red wine high in procyanidins improved the function of the linings of blood vessels. If you want to know which procyanidin-rich wine we prefer – read this. And a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology last summer also found that moderate drinking (between three and 14 drinks per week for men, and seven or fewer drinks per week for women) may have some protective effects against cardiovascular disease. The researchers reported that “A delicate balance exists between the beneficial and detrimental effects of alcohol consumption. A J-shaped relationship exists between alcohol consumption and mortality, and drinkers should drink with consciousness.”
Conscious tippling? I’ll drink to that.
Susan
Love your blog posts.
Just want to point out that the comment about group 1 carcinogens needs context.
https://www.statschat.org.nz/2013/07/01/whats-a-group-1-carcinogen/
To use their wording – ‘The phrase “group one carcinogen” is only relevant in an argument over whether the risk is zero or non-zero.’
Thanks so much for the context Liz – very important
Well, I leave it up to you to assess your own risk and decide what to do. For myself, I thought that these statistics, in a peer-reviewed research paper by oncologists, were the money shot:
“Even those who drink moderately, defined by the Centers for Disease Control as one daily drink for women and two for men, face nearly a doubling of the risk for mouth and throat cancer and more than double the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, compared to nondrinkers. Moderate drinkers also face elevated risks for cancers of the voice box, female breast cancer and colorectal cancers.
The risk for heavy drinkers — defined as eight or more drinks a week for women and 15 or more a week for men, including binge drinkers — are multiples higher. Heavy drinkers face roughly five times the risk of mouth and throat cancers and squamous cell esophageal cancers than nondrinkers, nearly three times the risk of cancers of the voice box or larynx, double the risk of liver cancer, as well as increased risks for female breast cancer and colorectal cancer.”
Thanks so much for this Linda. The evaluation of risk here is so critical. And difficult – what is the risk for non-drinkers of suffering from these types of cancer?
Hi, could you give the link for this, please, I’d like to read it. Thanks.
Heart disease is a much bigger killer than cancer and drinking alcohol(in moderation) has been shown to lower that risk in study after study. There are multiple mechanisms which are debated such as alcohol raising protective HDL good cholesterol or lowering fibrinogen which makes one prone to clotting. Nevertheless the risk is lowered. Now if you no longer die from heart disease and live longer then you are prone to getting cancer as mere aging increases your risk as cells mutate. When examining the branches of individual trees, one should not lose sight of the forest. Cheers,Salud, Nastovia,L’Chayim !
Wise words Dr Carl – thank you!
No. Just moderation in everything (mostly).
We so agree! Thanks Kay
Hi ladies, I don’t do dry January but set myself a limit of 3 units a week. This then keeps me sane, makes me really think about what I am drinking and makes me not crave sugar which I feel is worse than the booze !
That’s a great policy, and you’re right – sugar isn’t exactly great either!
I am having a dry January so far. It hasn’t been too bad because I haven’t been out and about with friends (or hosted at home which is even worse since I don’t feel I have to limit my drinking – no driving home). It is hard when there is a group and everyone is drinking. However, I am now staying in a Muslim country where consuming alcohol is not an option and I don’t miss it in this environment. Icy water is the custom to stay hydrated in this climate.
Interesting about the residents of the so called Blue zones drinking alcohol as part of their culture. Also my grandfather lived to be 102 years old, and he had a beer regularly. He wasn’t ill when he died; he said he was tired.
I should also mention that he smoked his own home-rolled cigarettes, spooned sugar into his tea and showered his fried eggs with salt. It is difficult to figure out.
Goodness, your father sounds as if he was a miracle-on-legs. We do hope you have his genes! An excellent idea to visit a muslim country where there’s no pressure to drink. It’s such a big cultural thing. Interestingly beer has been linked to a diverse microbiome – perhaps that helped your father?