Alcohol Types Other Than Wine Increase Cancer Risk in Men
Canadian researchers recently reported that Canadian men who are regular alcohol drinkers - on a daily or weekly basis - have a higher risk of cancer of the esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, lung, and prostate. The more men drink, the greater the risk.
The investigators suspect that alcohol may be responsible for up to 5% of all invasive cancer deaths. Their article abstract does not address the possibility that regular drinkers may live longer than non-drinkers despite increased risk of cancer.
Readers of this blog will note that I am a bit of an advocate of alcohol consumption - for carefully selected people - for prolongation of life and reduction of cardiovascular disease. I’m also on record as favoring wine over other alcoholic beverages for these potential benefits.
I happy to report that the Canadians did not find an association between wine consumption and cancer.
Steve Parker, M.D.
Reference: Benedetti, Andrea, et al. Lifetime consumption of alcoholic beverages and risk of 13 types of cancer in men: results of a case-control study in Montreal. Cancer Detection and Prevention, 32 (2009): 352-362.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
I might be screwed, then =P I drink one beer per evening roughly 5-6 nights a week on our nightly walks to the park (one thing I love about living here is the fact I can nurse a beer while walking in the park, whereas in the US I’d be arrested for drinking in public). I also regularly drink a glass or two of wine with dinner….4-5 nights a week.
Not too much into hard liquor, though. Sometimes at dinner parties I’ll have a few whiskeys or a rum and coke, but I’m mostly a wine/beer fan. Actually I’m a bit of an enthusiast, especially for wine, and I’m hoping to get a vineyard of my own going in the next 5 years or so.
I dunno
I think I’ll keep drinking, regardless of any studies that come out. Just seems to me like every year someone comes up with some new way to try and scare people out of something. This year it’s beer and liquor…next year they’ll be telling us that bananas cause cancer and tomatoes are the leading cause of Alzheimer’s.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I remember the days in Texas when you could drink a beer in your car on your way home from work, legally! No more, I’m sure.
September 9th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
Wine has been popular for longer than recorded history on the occurance of cancer.
I strongly suspect that when all of the data is in, there will only be problems associated with heavy drinking of grain and distilled alcohol.
The countries with the longest life expectancy all consume wine regularly.
I love your blog. I am a daily reader and one of your biggest fans. Thanks for everything you do!
-Kristi Daniels
FadDietsThatWork.com
September 11th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Thanks, Kristi.