One Drink a Day Increases Breast Cancer Risk, According to Report
Some people claim that one drink a day is actually healthy. It relieves the stress accumulated from a hard day at work. At the same time, it can stimulate conversation between friends and acquaintances that can be one's primary source of social support. However, a recent report revealed that this practice may actually lead to higher risk of breast cancer.
According to a report by World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the risk of breast cancer increases when premenopausal and postmenopausal women adhere to the lifestyle that lets them enjoy one glass of wine, a beer or one ounce of hard liquor a day. There is a five percent increased risk for the former and a nine percent risk for the latter.
"I was most surprised by the alcohol result, that risk increases at just one drink a day, on average," lead author Dr. Anne McTiernan said, as reported by CNN. "The increase with one drink a day was small ... but the risk goes up from there. So that's why AICR recommends no more than one alcohol drink a day for women to reduce risk for cancer."
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Although the report mostly emphasized breast cancer that occurs in women, it can actually occur in men, no matter how rare it might be. The explanation for the report on how alcohol can increase the risk for breast cancer lies in the fact that there are cancer cells that bind with estrogen which helps expedite their growth.
Other health-related concepts are also examined by the report. It was found that exercise can reduce the risk of breast cancer, even if it's just a short brisk walk every day. Furthermore, breastfeeding mothers have a lesser chance of contracting the disease and that weight gain for postmenstrual women can increase it.
