All Types of Alcohol Raise Breast Cancer Risk

Filed under Breast Cancer Prevention, Diet and Breast Cancer | Comments (0)

New research suggests that three drinks per day of any type of alcohol raises a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by 30 percent.

In the past, researchers weren't sure if certain types of alcohol were riskier than others, but they now believe it doesn't matter which kind is consumed. Wine, beer, and spirits all appear to contribute to the risk.

Dr. Yan Li, the lead researcher and an oncologist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California said, "if you drink three or more drinks a day [your breast cancer risk] -- rather than one in eight -- will be one in six."

The increase in risk was similar no matter which type of beverage was typically consumed. "It makes no difference whether women drink wine, beer or liquor in terms of their risk of breast cancer," Li said. "It's the alcohol itself. And it's the quantity consumed that increases breast cancer risk."

Though the new research found no protective properties from red wine, other studies suggest the resveratrol in red wine is protective against cancer. Some red wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, contain more resveratrol than others and it isn't clear which kind of red wine women in the latest study drank.

Posted by Tracy on September 27, 2007 12:24 PM | DIGG | del.icio.us | furl