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 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}
Carcinogenicity 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 Director 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}
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