The Latest Verdict on Alcohol
The studies coming out on alcohol and severity of potential health consequences have been evolving over the last century. How much can that glass of wine influence long term health?
The latest research shows significant health consequences, leading Canada to tighten their official guidelines on alcohol. In 2011, 10 drinks or less a week was considered ‘low risk’ for women. Nearly a decade later, further research has resulted in the guidance being modified to less than 2 drinks a week, with an emphasis on abstaining from alcohol completely. On top of this, we know that female bodies are more susceptible to damage from alcohol- something the younger gen Z age group (born in the 1990s-2010s) has taken to heart as we observe this generation drinking the least compare to previous generations. According to their study pooling 7,000 Canadians, only 4 out of 10 were aware that alcohol increases one’s risk of cancer.
“According to the Canadian Cancer Society, consuming about 3½ drinks a day doubles or triples one’s risk of developing cancer of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus, and increases one’s risk of colorectal cancer and breast cancer by 1½ times.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. However, the fact that alcohol is a carcinogen that can cause at least seven types of cancer is often unknown or overlooked. The most recent available data show that the use of alcohol causes nearly 7,000 cases of cancer deaths each year in Canada, with most cases being breast or colon cancer, followed by cancers of the rectum, mouth and throat, liver, esophagus and larynx.
