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Should You Stop Drinking Alcohol to Prevent Cancer?
Today I am sharing an article by a cancer patient, who is passionate about sharing comprehensive information for those looking for help with coping, support, and facts about cancer. Virgil Anderson is a victim of workplace asbestos exposure and can be found at mesothelioma.net.
Click Here for Your Free PDF from Leann: ’37 Cancer Facts You Should Know…But Probably Don’t’
Many people have heard about the positive effects that wine can have on everyday health. Wine can help the cardiovascular system with a strong flow of blood as arteries remain open and flexible.
However, alcohol has a downside. It’s a fact that any alcoholic drink has some risks associated with cancer.
Alcohol has been linked to dozens of cancers, including mesothelioma. Ideally, for someone already diagnosed with cancer, it shouldn’t be a part of life either during or after treatment. Get to know some of the hard facts behind alcohol and cancer so that educated decisions can be made.
Alcohol’s Link to Cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, excessive alcohol consumption reduces the body’s ability to absorb certain nutrients. Blocked nutrients cannot benefit and heal the body, which may eventually lead to cancer.
Almost 4 percent of diagnosed cancer deaths in the nation are associated with drinking. Mouth, esophageal, breast, stomach and pancreatic cancers are common among these patients. The link resides at the DNA or genetic level. As people drink more than one to two alcoholic drinks a day, they systematically damage their DNA. Cancer has a chance to take hold in these cases.
Cancer and Hormones
There’s a direct link between breast cancer and estrogen levels. It’s been found that alcohol tends to increase estrogen levels in the body. As a result, there’s a greater chance for cancer development when hormone levels aren’t properly balanced by a healthy lifestyle.
A patient’s pancreas, cardiovascular organs and nervous system can also be impacted by a chronic, alcohol habit. Hormones course through the body at different times of life. They all interact with the body’s tissues. With further scientific evidence, there may be more links to cancer through other hormonal shifts.
Drinking and the Liver
Every system in the body is connected. When a person adds alcohol into the body, it must be processed by the liver. This organ handles the alcohol by filtering out the toxic compounds offered by the drink. Over time, however, the liver develops scarring. These scars and damage can mutate into a cancerous tumor. The tumor may not be isolated to the liver either. As a result, surrounding organs are at risk.
Mental Health
Dealing with cancer is a huge burden. Some people might turn to drinking as a way to cope with the situation. This habit only aggravates the condition. Drinking too much alcohol might lead to addiction. Adding a mental-health issue into a cancer treatment only compounds the problems that must be dealt with on a daily basis.
Excessive alcohol might trigger mental disorders, such as depression. Scientists are always studying the brain and its reactions to alcohol. Dependence and fighting cancer simultaneously creates a challenge that’s difficult for every patient.
Moderating Your Alcohol Intake
As with any part of life, moderation is important. Some cancer patients may be under the impression that alcohol doesn’t impact their prognosis, such as cancers unrelated to the digestive system. However, the toxins produced as the body digests the alcohol will impact nearly every tissue.
Removing alcohol from the daily plan is the best course of action. Fill the time with exercise, cooking healthy food or enjoying your loved ones. Alcohol is a substance that’s not truly needed in a person’s life.
Prioritize health when considering decisions that will have an effect on the body. Abstaining from drinking is the best course of action. However, one drink a day is an acceptable level of moderation, as reported by the American Cancer Society. With very little alcohol impacting the body, a longer and healthier life is more possible.
About the author:
Virgil Anderson is a lung cancer patient with mesothelioma.net. Virgil is a victim of workplace asbestos exposure. His focus is on health and lifestyle, support, alternative therapies, and veterans assistance. With a positive attitude, Virgil continues to fight his disease, to live life as best he can, and to share his story in the hopes of helping even just one other person avoid asbestos and this terrible cancer.
Here are a few articles Virgil wanted to share:
https://mesothelioma.net/herbs-plant-extracts-cancer-patients/
https://mesothelioma.net/naturopathic-treatment-mesothelioma/
https://mesothelioma.net/nutrition-and-lifestyle-for-mesothelioma-patients/
