Alcohol as a Carcinogen

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Alcohol as a Carcinogen

JoAnn Guest

Jul 10, 2003 17:21 PDT

 

June Russell's Health Facts

 

[Alcohol as a Carcinogen]

 

It is tragic that we lose a half a million people each year to this

dreadful plague called cancer and despite the millions of dollars

spent

on new drug therapies, the numbers are getting worse, not better.

The

development of new cancers and the epidemic of cancer is increasing

every year, so relying on the medical establishment to save us is

the

wrong way. The media is driven by advertising, and is focused on

drug

and vaccine development, so almost nobody is getting word about

prevention out to the mainstream. One of the ways to prevent cancer

is

by avoiding alcohol. The Lancet reminds us that grapes are good for

us,

and we wouldn't want to drink a lot of wine to get an effective dose

of

resveratrol, and a lead researcher reminded us that " eternal health

is

not to be found in the bottom of a wine bottle. "

{ " How to Save Yourself from Cancer, " Women's Health Letter, Nan

Kathryn

Fuchs, PhD, March 2002}

 

The American Cancer Society drew the ire of the alcohol industry

when it

released guidelines calling for a reduction in alcohol intake to

lower

the risk of cancer: " Limited or no alcohol intake. " Dr. Meir

Stampfer, a

professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of

Public

Health, said that we know lots of ways to reduce the risk of heart

disease without the use of alcohol.

{CNN - Cancer Society - April 2001}

 

Carcinogenicty of Alcoholic Drinks

Alcohol damages cells, thereby promoting cell division; stimulates

enzymes that activate other carcinogens; robs the body of

cancer-protective nutrients such as Vitamin A, folate and selenium;

it

irritates delicate organ linings; diminishes the body's ability to

eliminate dangerous cancer-causing particles called free radicals,

and

harms enzymes that repair damaged DNA. Some forms of alcohol also

carry

their own carcinogens, such as nitrosamines, into the body. The

of Clinical Nutrition at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

states

that those at the Cancer Center consider alcohol a toxin.

{Cancer Smart newsletter, published by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering

Cancer Center, March 1996}

 

A seemingly small amount of alcohol is a very potent carcinogen.

Alcohol

is a poor choice of beverage if you have cancer. Avoid alcohol to

prevent cancer and cancer recurrence: alcohol can greatly speed up

the

disease of cancer.

{Alternative Medicine, Definitive Guide to Cancer, John Diamond, MD,

W.

Lee Cowden, MD, and Burton Goldberg, 1997}

 

A Harvard University study found that one alcoholic drink daily led

to

an eighty percent higher melanoma risk, and in an Australian study,

two

or more drinks daily resulted in an increase of two to two and one-

half

times.

{in the book, " Skin Deep, " Carol Turkinton and Jeffrey Dover, MD,

1998}

 

Alcohol is a tumor-promoter and a carcinogen. The use of alcohol

increases cancer risk and has a profound effect. For the lowest

possible

cancer risk, alcohol should be avoided.

{International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in the 1999

book,

" Stopping Cancer before it Starts, " by the American Institute for

Cancer

Research}

 

The National Toxicology Program at the U.S. Dept. of Health and

Human

Services now warns that alcoholic beverages are " known to be human

carcinogens. " The NTP now lists alcoholic beverage consumption along

with arsenic, asbestos, benzene, and others as cancer-causing. This

was

based on three years of study and may call for future labeling of

all

alcoholic beverages to have warnings about cancer risk.

{Center for Science in the Public Interest Bulletin, May 2000}

 

A U.S. Government report on what causes cancer now includes

alcoholic

beverages.

{ " New Cancer Report removes saccharin and adds alcohol, " Reuters,

nutrition.about.com - June 2001} Author's comment: Aspartame and

ethyl

acrylate were removed from the cancer causing list because of the

pressure from industry groups.

 

Cancer risk may be increased by drinking any amount of alcohol. It

doesn't matter if it's beer, wine or whiskey, and the best way to

protect yourself from alcohol-related cancers is not to drink.

Alcohol

increases cancer-causing free radicals. Cancers of the mouth,

pharynx,

esophagus and larynx develop when sensitive tissues are directly

exposed

to alcohol in beverages.

{ " Alcohol/Cancer Link Is Solid, " American Institute for Cancer

Research

(AIRC) Newsletter -aicr.org - October 2001}

 

Exposure to chemicals is just one environmental factor that combines

with a person's genetic predispositions to cause cancer. Others

include

diet, smoking habits, alcohol consumption, and exposure to sunlight,

radiation, and viruses. Most cancers arise in people who were born

with

healthy genes: environmental factors play a role in perhaps 80% of

all

cancers. Prevention could greatly reduce this.

{ " Cancer and the Environment: A Primer for Primary Care Physicians, "

www.psrus.org - April 2002}

 

Additives and Substances in Alcoholic Drinks

Alcohol weakens the body's protection and lets carcinogens in the

body.

Alcohol is a solvent, and alcoholic beverages include more than 400

substances beside ethanol. Cancer has been linked to some of these

ingredients.

{in the book, " Living Well, Staying Well, " American Heart

Association

and the American Cancer Society, 1996}

 

Many wines have been found to be contaminated with cancer-causing

urethane.

{Nutrition Action Health Letter, April 1988}

 

Diet and Nutrition

Alcohol acts as a co-carcinogen; that is it can increase the

effectiveness of other cancer-causing agents: it damages cells,

thereby

promoting cell division; robs the body of cancer-protective

nutrients

such as Vitamin A, folate and selenium; and harms enzymes that

repair

damaged DNA. Some forms of alcohol carry their own carcinogens, such

as

nitrosamines, into the body. " We consider alcohol a toxin, " says Dr.

Moshe Shike, Director of Clinical Nutrition at Memorial Sloan-

Kettering

Cancer Center. The protective effects of a diet rich in fruits and

vegetables appear to be lost on drinkers (of alcohol).

{Cancer Smart, March 1996}

 

The physicians at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center warn that alcohol is

a

`toxin' and that the protective effect of a diet rich in fruits and

vegetables seems to be lost on those who drink alcohol.

{ " Cancer Smart, " newsletter, 1996}

 

Alcohol is a common cause of pancreatitis.

{from book, " Good Foods for Bad Stomachs, " by Henry Janowitz, MD,

1997,

in the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients}

 

Ingestion of alcohol, which is known to promote folic acid

deficiency,

has been linked to an increase of colon cancer.

{American Journal of Epidemiology, 1998}

 

Physicians stress a low-fat diet, regular exercise and an avoidance

of

alcohol and tobacco as the best prevention for most cancers.

{ " Aspirin may lower cancer risk, " by Marta Adrich, associated press

writer, Nashville, Tenn., stopgettingsick.com, May 25, 2001}

 

In studies, alcohol intake was associated with a lowered risk for

heart

disease, but tended to increase the risk for cancer. No one should

start

drinking wine or any other alcoholic beverage as a means to better

health.

{ " Follow-up: All Cause Mortality and Alcohol Consumption, " Harvard

Heart

Letter, August 2001}

 

An article published by The American Institute for Cancer Research

in

1997, " Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global

Perspective, " stated that a plant-based diet and the avoidance of

alcohol, together with the maintenance of recommended body mass and

regular physical activity, may decrease the incidence of breast

cancer

by about 35 to 50%.

{ " Complementary Approaches to Breast Cancer, " William Bergman, MD,

healthology.com - Oct. 2001}

 

Insulin seems to be one of the main drivers for cancer. So if you

want

to prevent cancer, or want to treat cancer, it is absolutely

imperative

that you keep insulin levels as low as possible. This will also slow

down the aging process and decrease your risk for just about all

degenerative diseases.

{mercola.com - October 2001} Author's comment: The use of alcohol

increases insulin levels.

 

A study in the journal Epidemiology reported that women whose diets

were

lowest in folate faced no greater cancer risk than women with

higher-folate diets, if they were nondrinkers. But if they drank

more

than two alcoholic drinks a week, their breast cancer risk increased

almost 60 percent. JAMA reported similar findings from the Nurse's

Health Study: it was 40% risk. It is too early to know, however, if

simply getting sufficient folate is enough to prevent alcohol's

damaging

effects.

{ " Alcohol worse for some women, " Karen Collins, R.D.,

msnbc.com/news -

Dec. 2001}

 

Almost one in three cancers could be prevented through healthier

eating,

and researchers have published preliminary study results showing

that an

increase in consumption of vegetables (especially cooked vegetables)

show the greatest reduction in DNA damage levels from which cancer

can

potentially develop. Eating more vegetables and fruits while eating

meats in moderation has a positive effect. I don't believe anyone

disputes the effectiveness of vegetables in promoting health.

{www.mercola.com - June 2001} Author's comment: Alcohol robs the

body

of cancer-protective nutrients and researchers have found that the

protective effects of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables appear to

be

lost on those who drink alcohol.

{Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute}.

 

Alcohol consumption has a strong anti-folic acid effect, and

deficiency

of this nutrient enhances intestinal cancer.

{ " Alcohol, colon cancer, and folic acid, " " Nutrition Hints, " by

Betty

Kamen, PhD, and Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, MD, Source: Journal of

Nutrition

(2002)

 

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) estimates that

twenty

percent of cancers could be prevented if everyone ate five servings

of

vegetables and fruits daily. Avoid alcohol if you have had breast

cancer, head or neck cancer, or a gastrointestinal cancer.

{John Hopkins Medical Letter, Health After 50, newsletter, Jan.

2002}

 

It is no less than shocking to realize that 60 to 80 percent of

cancer

worldwide can be prevented through a practical nutritional approach

coupled with the avoidance of alcohol and tobacco products. A new

drug

with such effectiveness would certainly be considered a miracle.

{Barry Bittman, MD, " Cancer Prevention: What We Need to Know, "

HealthWorld Online, Feb. 2002}

 

The higher your antioxidant intake, the more protection you have

against

cancer, and this even applies to smoking and those with H. pylori

infection.

{ " Antioxidants and cancer prevention, " Nutrition Hints, #1008, Betty

Kamen and Dr. Michael Rosenbaum, Nov. 2002 - taken from

Gastroenterology, 2002} Author's comment: Alcohol negates

vitamins.

For information see Alcohol - Vitamins/Nutrients on this Web site.

 

Several studies associate the intake of alcohol, including beer,

with

increased cancer risk.

{ " Diet and Cancer: Food Additives, Coffee, and Alcohol, " Nutrition

and

Cancer, 1983 & Editorial Staff: " Beer Drinking and the Risk of

Rectal

Cancer, " Nutrition Reviews, 1984} Also note that tannic acid found

in

wines is linked to liver cancer.

{In alternativemedicine.com - October 2002}

 

The effects of alcohol consumption on the risk of various types of

cancers have been studied extensively. An analysis of 123 studies

found

not only higher risks for cirrhosis, but also relationships for

colorectum, liver, and breast cancers.

{Carrao, Bagnardi, Zambon, et al., 1999}. The authors found that the

intake of a daily consumption of two drinks or two glasses of wine

(25

g/day), have shown significant risks.

{ " Alcohol Effects on People, " U.S. Department of Transportation

(NHTSA),

2002}

 

Colon and Rectal Cancer

Alcohol consumption was strongly related to the risk of colon cancer

in

both men and women.

{ " Alcohol and nutrients in relation to colon cancer in middle-aged

adults, " American Journal of Epidemiology, 1993, The Johns Hopkins

University School of Hygiene and Public Health}

 

According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol has been linked to

rectal and colon cancers. The strongest link is between beer

drinking

and rectal cancer in men.

{ " Cancer and the American Man, " A 90's Survival Guide, Stephen

Austin,

ND, in Let's Live magazine, 1997}

 

Alcohol use alters certain DNA proteins. Individuals who consumed

about

7.5 ounces of wine, or 35 ounces of beer, or 3.75 ounces of hard

liquor

per week week, for over 20 years were 60% more likely to develop a

tumor

with a genetic defect.

{ " Alcohol ups risk of genetic defect in colon cancer, "

HealthCentral.com

-Aug. 2001}

 

Breast Cancer

Women who drink one glass of wine a day will have a 50% greater risk

of

having breast cancer. This is added to the thirty-some previous

studies

that also substantiates this study.

{Walter Willett, MD, Harvard School of Health - 1993}

 

A study reported in the International Journal of Epidemiology, cited

in

the Lancet finds that 25 percent of breast cancers may be due to

drinking alcohol. Women who drink moderate-to-heavy are at the

greatest

risk, but even light drinkers increase their risk substantially.

{ " New Study Ties Alcohol, Breast Cancer, " alternativemedicine.com -

Nov.

1997}

 

Each daily drink of alcohol (beer, wine, or hard liquor) was

associated

with about a 9% increase in breast cancer in Journal of the American

Medical Association today.

{`Alcohol tied to a higher breast cancer risk,' The Daily Progress

{AP),

Charlottesville, VA, Feb. 18, 1998}

 

One of the reasons alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer in

women

is that the alcohol competes with the liver's ability to metabolize

estrogen because it is already busy converting the alcohol to

glucose.

Therefore the amount of estrogen increases. Dr. Northrup expressed

amazement that we stress alcohol for heart disease prevention, yet

ignore the risk-free benefits of supplements.

{Dr. Christiane Northrup, Health Wisdom for Women newsletter, April

1998}

 

Alcohol raises the blood levels of the hormone estradiol and other

reproductive hormones. Those women who averaged one drink a day were

39%

more likely to develop breast cancer than women who did not drink.

Alcohol consumption also hastens the loss of calcium from the body,

setting the stage for osteoporosis.

{`Alcohol, Women, and Heart Disease, " Robert Haas in his book,

Permanent

Remissions}

 

One of the reasons alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer in

women

is that it competes with the liver's ability to metabolize estrogen,

since it is busy converting the alcohol to glucose. Therefore, the

amount of estrogen increases. If you take Premarin, don't drink

(alcohol)!

{Dr. Christiane Northrup, Health Wisdom for Women newsletter, April,

1998}

 

Alcohol boosts estrogen levels and if you drink it daily, you may

elevate it more than you realize. Researchers are concerned that

prolonged exposure to high levels of estrogen may increase breast

cancer.

{The News and Observer, NC, August, 1998, Joe Graedon's column}

 

Although many women worry about pesticides and toxic chemicals, the

chemical most clearly shown to affect breast cancer risk is alcohol.

{`Making Risk Personal,' Washington Post Health, June 2000}

 

Breast cancer patients with high levels of insulin in their blood

seem

to be eight times more likely to die of their disease than other

women,

and almost four times as likely to have their cancer recur at a

distant

sight, Canadian researchers have found. Evidence shows that in the

breast, insulin spurs the growth of both normal and cancerous cells.

{ " Insulin level may help predict cancer survival, "

HealthCentral.com -

June 2000} Author's comment: Alcohol use raises insulin levels.

 

Minimize consumption of alcohol to avoid imbalances of estrogen

metabolism. Alcohol has an estrogenic activity. I think breast

cancer

results from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental

factors,

in which lifestyle choices, such as diet, use of alcohol, and

exposure

to estrogenic toxins have much more influence than emotion.

{Dr. Andrew Weil, `Spontaneous Healing'}

 

Early and excessive use of alcohol is one of the lifestyle risks

that

cause breast cancer.

{www.preventcancer.com from " The Breast Cancer Prevention Program, "

Epstein, Steinman and LeVert, 1998} Author's comment: It is not

clear

what is excessive, but many studies (over 30) have shown that even

smaller amounts of alcohol increase the risk of breast cancer.

 

Post menopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

should

be aware that alcohol may have a synergistic effect and a

significant

impact on breast cancer risk according to some studies.

{ " How Can the Risk of Breast Cancer Be Lowered? " CBSHealthwatch.com

-October 2001}

 

Alcoholic beverages are now a " known " human carcinogen, which

indicates

that there is a cause and effect relationship between the exposure

and

human cancer, and there are studies that show a specific link to

drinking and breast cancer. Epidemiologic research has shown a

dose-dependent association between alcohol consumption and certain

types

of cancer. According to JAMA, reducing alcohol consumption is a

potential means to reducing breast cancer risk.

{ " Alcohol and Breast Cancer, " alcoholism.about.com - Feb. 2002}

 

For most women, low intakes of B-vitamins do not represent a major

risk

factor for breast cancer. The exception was among women who consumed

little folate, but who regularly drank alcohol. Dr. Thomas A.

Sellers of

the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and his colleagues

reported:

" It is well established that the use of alcohol-containing beverages

poses a slight increase in the risk of cancer. People who have

adequate

folate intake, however, may have a better capacity to repair DNA

damage

caused by the acetaldehyde. "

When the body breaks down alcohol it produces acetaldehyde, which

has

been known to cause cancer.

{ " Drinking plus low folate linked to breast cancer, " Epidemiology

2001,

womenshealthchannel.com - April 2002}

 

There is good evidence of an increased risk of breast cancer in

women

who drink one or more alcoholic beverages a day, regardless of the

type

of alcoholic beverage they choose. For women who have had breast

cancer

you may be better off if you abstain from alcohol all together.

{ " Diet and Breast Cancer, " Dr. Andrew Weil's Self Healing

newsletter,

Aug. 2002}

 

Women who used hormones or only drank alcohol had about a 30 percent

higher risk of invasive breast cancer than women who used neither.

Women

who used both hormones and alcohol (drinking at least 1.5 alcoholic

drinks a day) had almost twice the risk of developing breast cancer.

Caveats: the results are based on self-reported information, and the

different regimens of HRT may produce different results.

{Washington Post Health, Nov. 26, 2002, Nov. 19 issue of the Annals

of

Internal Medicine}

 

Moderate physical activity over the course of a lifetime can reduce

a

young woman's risk of breast cancer by 33 percent, and after

menopause

by 26 percent. This exercise should begin in the teen years.

Exercise

reduces insulin levels, which are associated with an increased risk

in

cancer.

{ " Exercise and cancer prevention, " Nutrition Hints # 994, Betty

Kamen,

PhD, and Michael Rosenbaum, MD, from Psychooncology 2002 -

Additional

comments about this report on mercola.com}

 

The results of fifty-three studies worldwide show that daily

consumption

of alcoholic beverages, equivalent to ten grams a day, raises the

chances of developing breast cancer. This analysis includes data on

150,000 women, and shows a clear link between alcohol and breast

cancer.

It is believed that the pathway may involve changes in estrogen

levels.

{British Journal of Cancer 2002}

 

Ten grams is approximately `one' alcoholic drink. Every drink you

take

causes thiamine loss, impaired B6 activation, folate loss, and

increased

magnesium excretion. If you are on hormone therapy, one or two

glasses

of wine causes a three-fold increase in estrogen circulating in the

blood, and the levels begin to rise within ten minutes of taking a

drink. Increased blood levels of estrogen heighten the risk of

breast

cancer.

{From the book " Hormone Replacement Therapy: Yes or No, " by Betty

Kamen

- 2002}

 

Stress increases the risk for developing breast cancer, and

emotional

stress affects several immune functions and the secretion of stress

hormone. It should be noted that genetic predisposition to breast

cancer

is not as significant as lifestyle and other factors.

{ " Breast cancer and stress, " Betty Kamen, PhD, and Dr. Michael

Rosenbaum, MD, " Nutrition Hints, " Jan. 2003} Alcohol use causes

stress -

see Alcohol and Stress on this Web site.

 

Prostate Cancer

The risk of prostate cancer was found to be increased according to

the

amount of alcohol consumed.

{US TOO International, Inc., Prostate Cancer Survivor Support

Groups,

1996}

 

Like saturated fat, alcohol appears to raise prostate cancer by

increasing the circulating levels of sex hormones, and men who drink

the

most alcohol were the most likely to die from prostate cancer, said

a

University of Massachusetts study.

{Self Healing newsletter, Andrew Weil, MD, April 1999}

 

Ways to lower risk without the use of alcohol: In the journal Cancer

Causes and Control, UCLA research shows that, in a short time,

exercises

and dietary changes (Pritikin approach) can have a dramatic effect

on

inducing prostate cancer cells to die.

{healthy.net, Jan. 21, 2003}

 

http://www.jrussellshealth.com/alccanc.html

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

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