View Full Version : Beer Relapse now Fear Cancer
So as most of us know, it's the consensus of the scientific community that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. All levels of alcohol consumption can lead to cancer in at least 7 sites in the body. Due to the study, I gave up all alcohol almost two months ago but I relapsed today and had a bottle of beer and now I'm scared. Can 1 beer a month increase my risk considerably?
First off, pretty much everything that we eat has been linked to causing cancer. Secondly, years ago doctors told everyone with high blood pressure to cut out salt, they also told everyone with high cholesterol to cut out high cholesterol foods from their diet. They did this because the best scientific evidence at the time, from studies that were SURE that they found a link between foods and diseases. It turns out, however, that unless you have certain types of sodium responsive high blood pressure, how much salt you eat makes no difference. It also turns out that high cholesterol, for the most part, is genetic and diet makes little to no impact on your cholesterol levels.
Now onto the study about alcohols link with cancer. If it's the study that I'm thinking of, it was a meta analysis of certain types of cancer, along with self reported alcohol consumption rates. While it's interesting data, self reported data is typically pretty bad, especially for things like alcohol and other drugs. As Dr. House always said, people lie. People typically under report their alcohol consumption rates, especially when they're giving a history to a doctor and ESPECIALLY when they're sick and the doctor is trying to figure out why. No one wants to admit that they potentially caused their own illness. So someone who has multiple alcoholic beverages a night will say they have a beer or two a week, tops.
When you take this data and do a study on it, and find some sort of relationship between the activities and the disease, you have to take the findings with a grain of salt. In this case, it's very likely that moderate consumption of alcohol probably isn't going to increase your risk of cancer appreciably.
To answer your question, no having a single beer isn't going to increase your risk significantly.
First off, pretty much everything that we eat has been linked to causing cancer. Secondly, years ago doctors told everyone with high blood pressure to cut out salt, they also told everyone with high cholesterol to cut out high cholesterol foods from their diet. They did this because the best scientific evidence at the time, from studies that were SURE that they found a link between foods and diseases. It turns out, however, that unless you have certain types of sodium responsive high blood pressure, how much salt you eat makes no difference. It also turns out that high cholesterol, for the most part, is genetic and diet makes little to no impact on your cholesterol levels.
Now onto the study about alcohols link with cancer. If it's the study that I'm thinking of, it was a meta analysis of certain types of cancer, along with self reported alcohol consumption rates. While it's interesting data, self reported data is typically pretty bad, especially for things like alcohol and other drugs. As Dr. House always said, people lie. People typically under report their alcohol consumption rates, especially when they're giving a history to a doctor and ESPECIALLY when they're sick and the doctor is trying to figure out why. No one wants to admit that they potentially caused their own illness. So someone who has multiple alcoholic beverages a night will say they have a beer or two a week, tops.
When you take this data and do a study on it, and find some sort of relationship between the activities and the disease, you have to take the findings with a grain of salt. In this case, it's very likely that moderate consumption of alcohol probably isn't going to increase your risk of cancer appreciably.
To answer your question, no having a single beer isn't going to increase your risk significantly.
There is no question about the relationship between all levels of alcohol consumption and cancer. This is not even up for debate anymore in the medical community and in the medical literature. That said, I do know that even one drink a day raises relative cancer risk but I was not seeing what 1 drink in 2 months leads to.
MyNameIsTerry
28-10-17, 04:49
If one exposure to asbestos does nothing, what would one drink do? One cigarrette?
If it were as sensitive as this why put alcohol as a base for many a medication?
You didn't read what I wrote, or at least you aren't paying attention to it. I gave you two examples where the best scientific evidence of the time suggest that salt caused high blood pressure and high cholesterol foods caused high cholesterol, both of which were proven wrong. Hell both of those ideas were so well accepted that they are STILL parroted by doctors, and generally accepted by people even though they have been proven wrong.
I also pointed out that studies that rely on self reporting are weaker than studies that rely on directly observed data. In the UK they changed the guidelines for the recommended "safe" amount of alcohol to consume per week: 14 units for men and women. That's basically a proper (500ml) pint a night.
Everything comes with a risk, though beer and wine do also come with other potential health benefits, including antioxidants and potential cardiovascular benefits when consumed in moderation.
Don't go down the medical statistics rabbit hole. You're going to lead a very boring and unhappy life if you try to min/max your odds.
MyNameIsTerry
28-10-17, 05:20
In the UK they changed the guidelines for the recommended "safe" amount of alcohol to consume per week: 14 units for men and women. That's basically a proper (500ml) pint a night.
And I bet not very many of us even stick to that, I know I didn't when I was drinking. 7 pints a week?!!! That's not even one night for a lot of people over here.
And I find that interesting. Where I'm from you leave school and you get into drinking culture (and you;'ve probably already done it whilst at school). This means getting drunk several times or more a week hitting the pubs & clubs.
What I think is interesting is just how many of us have raised our risks of cancer but have we ever had it? People drank like fish in the UK long before we even had a NHS! If you watch a film depicting working class British men over 50 years ago it's all pubs, working mens clubs, and getting tanked up a lot of the week.
So, whilst there are proven links and statistics it makes me wonder where the epidemic is?
Annaboodle
28-10-17, 11:45
I'd listen to Joe and Terry here - they're talking sense. I'm a recovering alcoholic, but to people without an addictive personality or that problem I'd just say do all things in moderation and enjoy your life. Try and avoid becoming evangelical about abstinence, even if it works out great for you as I've known many reformed drinkers who go that way and it annoys the hell out of everyone.
Can 1 beer a month increase my risk considerably?
No (.) period.
Positive thoughts
You didn't read what I wrote, or at least you aren't paying attention to it. I gave you two examples where the best scientific evidence of the time suggest that salt caused high blood pressure and high cholesterol foods caused high cholesterol, both of which were proven wrong. Hell both of those ideas were so well accepted that they are STILL parroted by doctors, and generally accepted by people even though they have been proven wrong.
I also pointed out that studies that rely on self reporting are weaker than studies that rely on directly observed data. In the UK they changed the guidelines for the recommended "safe" amount of alcohol to consume per week: 14 units for men and women. That's basically a proper (500ml) pint a night.
Everything comes with a risk, though beer and wine do also come with other potential health benefits, including antioxidants and potential cardiovascular benefits when consumed in moderation.
Don't go down the medical statistics rabbit hole. You're going to lead a very boring and unhappy life if you try to min/max your odds.
This is not an accurate representation of what's in the medical literature. There is a demonstrable causal link between all alcohol consumption and at least 7 types of cancers. This has been studied and replicated and it's a fact. The results of prior studies being overturned has nothing to do with this specific research. The supposed benefits of alcohol consumption have been widely overstated and is often used by some as a justification for denying the well documented and peer reviewed science showing alcohol can cause cancer.
---------- Post added at 15:02 ---------- Previous post was at 15:00 ----------
No (.) period.
Positive thoughts
I appreciate your response. I have been trying to find if there's any research that looks at the risk for a drink per month versus a drink per day.
I appreciate your response. I have been trying to find if there's any research that looks at the risk for a drink per month versus a drink per day.
You'll be trying for a long time but I'm sure Google will turn up something untrue to scare you off your rocker ;) Look... there are people who are 100 years old and drink one or more alcoholic beverages a day and have all their lives. You consume more preservatives and crap in foods you eat daily than one beer a week or month. You're exposed to more things just walking out of the house and going to work than would harm you in one beer a week or month!
Tell you what... if it's bothering you that much, donate what you would spend on that one beer a week or month to cancer research ;)
Positive thoughts
You'll be trying for a long time but I'm sure Google will turn up something untrue to scare you off your rocker ;) Look... there are people who are 100 years old and drink one or more alcoholic beverages a day and have all their lives. You consume more preservatives and crap in foods you eat daily than one beer a week or month. You're exposed to more things just walking out of the house and going to work than would harm you in one beer a week or month!
Tell you what... if it's bothering you that much, donate what you would spend on that one beer a week or month to cancer research ;)
Positive thoughts
I actually like this perspective. Normally, I do donate to cancer research as well as organizations that help people dealing with this terrible disease. My mother died of ovarian cancer a few months ago.
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