High consumption of Alcohol and its health risk: 5 types of cancer linked to alcohol consumption by Yahoo Canada Lifestyle Editors

A new report suggests that more than two drinks a week put you at risk for multiple types of cancer.

Yahoo Canada Lifestyle Editors



This article is for informational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in physical activity or changing your diet, medication, or lifestyle.

On Tuesday, Canada's new Guidance on Alcohol and Health was released. The final report, released by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), is an update to the 2011 Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines.

The new guidance says that no alcohol is safe to consume — and that consuming more than two drinks a week puts Canadians at risk.

According to the guidelines, 3-6 drinks a week increases the risk of developing certain cancers, including colorectal and breast cancer, and more than 7 drinks a week also ups your risk of heart attack and stroke.

It's a significant change from the previous guidelines, which recommended fewer than 15 drinks per week for men and fewer than 10 drinks per week for women — and the CCSA says the new advice reflects numerous studies over the past 10 years that link alcohol consumption to cancer.

Studies have concluded that cancer development is linked to various risk factors such as genetics, diet, and exercise. Still, lifestyle factors also play a role in the development of certain cancers.

Specifically, drinking alcohol has been linked to multiple types of cancer, including breast, colon, esophageal, liver, and mouth.
How certain foods and beverages are linked to cancer

C carcinogens have been scientifically proven to cause or contribute to cancer development.

Carcinogens can be found in our environment, the chemicals and substances we come in contact with, and the food and drinks we consume.

Certain foods like red meat and processed meats are considered carcinogenic. Additionally, sugary drinks have been indirectly linked to cancer because they contribute to weight gain, a risk factor for the condition.

Alcohol is considered a group one carcinogen and a significant contributor to cancer development.



Canadian guidelines for drinking

While previous advice set out by Canada's low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines indicated that women should have no more than 10 drinks a week and men should stick to no more than 15 drinks a week, the new guidelines suggest that more than two drinks a week can put you at a higher risk of developing cancer.
Five types of cancer linked to alcohol consumption.

Below are five common cancers that have been scientifically linked to drinking alcohol.
1. Breast cancer

The link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer has not been unanimously defined.

However, the leading theory is that alcohol consumption contributes to estrogen circulation in women who have not yet undergone menopause, which is necessary for breast cancer to develop.

According to Cancer Care Ontario, females with at least two drinks of alcohol per day increase their risk of developing breast cancer by up to 31 percent compared to individuals who don't drink.

This risk is lowered to a 10 percent increase in women who only drink one alcoholic beverage daily.

Alcohol contributes to the development of colon cancer through the creation of polyps. (Photo via Getty Images)



2. Colon cancer

Alcohol contributes to the development of colon cancer through the creation of polyps. This happens when your body processes alcohol, which can damage colon cell DNA.

In 2020, a study by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer found that alcohol consumption was linked to 20 percent of new colon cancer cases in Canada.

Drinking alcohol can dramatically increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer. (Photo via Getty Images)



3. Esophageal cancer

Drinking alcohol can dramatically increase your risk of developing esophageal cancer.

A study from McGill University found that heavy drinkers increased their risk of esophageal cancer by seven times compared to non-drinkers.

The risk of developing esophageal cancer increases when combined with smoking tobacco.

Drinking can contribute to alcohol-induced liver cancer and disease. (Photo via Getty Images)

4. Liver cancer

People are encouraged to avoid alcohol for their liver health but are often unaware that drinking can contribute to alcohol-induced liver cancer and disease.

However, the link between alcohol and liver cancer has been defined as "probable" by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund because liver cirrhosis typically encourages people to stop drinking.

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing mouth and throat cancers. (Photo via Getty Images)



5. Mouth and throat cancers

Alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing mouth and throat cancers.

Aside from altering your DNA and affecting your hormonal balance, alcohol can change your cellular makeup in this body area.

As a result, the cells of your mouth and throat may be more permeable to potential carcinogens.
How to lower your risk for cancer linked to alcohol use

While alcohol is directly linked to the development of certain cancers, it's not a guarantee that you will develop the condition.

However, the best way of lowering your risk of cancer linked to alcohol consumption is to abide by Canada's drinking guidelines.

Why I refused brain tumour surgery abroad — Aproko Doctor

Popular Nigeria health influencer Dr. Chinonso Egemba, better known as Aproko Doctor, has revealed why he had his brain tumour surgery in Nigeria and declined advises to have the surgery abroad.

Egemba on Monday morning via his social media platforms, opened up about his health issue with Craniopharyngioma, which simply means brain tumour.

In a series of tweets, however, Egemba further revealed that he believed in the Nigeria health-sector and is dedicating his life to see the country’s health-sector succeed.

Posting a picture of the doctor who operated on him, Egemba wrote, “It was Dr. Tayo Ojo, a neurosurgeon here in Nigeria that did the surgery. So many people begged me to leave the country to get the surgery done, but something kept me back here because I still had trust in us. We just need more investment in our health sector.

“Education, health. For me… those are the two systems any nation needs to succeed. I’m dedicating my life to seeing that they succeed in our country Nigeria. I hope you see it too.”

The PUNCH earlier reported that the content creator, via a video shared across his social media platforms, disclosed his ordeal with brain tumour.

Captioning the video, as seen on his Twitter page, Egemba wrote, “Throughout December of 2022, I was fighting for my life. I went blind in one eye on the 3rd of December 2022 and on the 5th, I was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

“Today, I stand here before you to share my story. It has been a long road to recovery but each day is better than the last.”

While speaking in the video, he said, “One thing to understand is that health issues can happen to you regardless of who you are, including me.

“For the past three weeks or two weeks, I have been fighting for my life. Some of you have no idea. It happened that I was diagnosed with Craniopharyngioma which is a brain tumour and I had no idea I would be sharing my story.

“Here I am sitting on this seat sharing my own story about how I had a tumour in my brain. It was so bad that I couldn’t read out of my phone anymore to the point where this eye, I couldn’t read with it and it was also closing. They said it is a Craniopharyngioma and we need to do surgery to remove it.”

Over the years, Egemba has used his videos to enlighten people via his social media platforms, about health related matters and life changes that can improve and maintain good health.

He is also the executive director of the 100kClub, a non-profit organisation that lends medical support to Nigerians who need health assistance.

He has also won numerous awards for his health advocacy in the country’s social media space.

Egemba got married to fellow influencer, Chiamaka Nwakalor better known as Chef Amaka, in June of 2020

Alcohol and its danger!

Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain looks and works. Alcohol makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other adverse outcomes. Long-term heavy drinking causes alterations in the neurons, such as reductions in their size. Below are a few key topics related to alcohol and the brain.

The Adolescent Brain

Adolescent brains are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol than adult brains. Misuse of alcohol during adolescence can alter brain development, potentially resulting in long-lasting changes in brain structure and function.
Alcohol-Induced Blackouts

Alcohol misuse can cause alcohol-induced blackouts. Blackouts are gaps in a person’s memory of events that occurred while intoxicated. These gaps happen when a person drinks enough alcohol that temporarily blocks the transfer of memories from short-term to long-term storage—known as memory consolidation—in a brain area called the hippocampus.
Alcohol Overdose

Continuing to drink despite clear signs of significant impairments can result in an alcohol overdose. An alcohol overdose occurs when there is so much alcohol in the bloodstream that areas of the brain controlling essential life-support functions—such as breathing, heart rate, and temperature control—begin to shut down. Symptoms of alcohol overdose include mental confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, vomiting, seizure, trouble breathing, slow heart rate, clammy skin, dulled responses (such as no gag reflex, which prevents choking), and shallow body temperature. Alcohol overdose can lead to permanent brain damage or death.
Alcohol Use Disorder

As individuals continue to drink alcohol over time, progressive changes can occur in the structure and function of their brains. These changes can compromise brain function and drive the transition from controlled, occasional use to chronic misuse, which can be challenging to control and lead to alcohol use disorder (AUD). Individuals with moderate to severe AUD may enter a cycle of alcohol addiction. The extent of the brain’s ability to return to average following long-term sobriety is not fully understood. Still, a growing number of studies indicate that at least some AUD-induced brain changes—and the changes in thinking, feeling, and behaving that accompany them—can improve and possibly reverse with months of abstinence from drinking. (More detail about the neuroscience of AUD is provided in the Neuroscience: The Brain in Addiction and Recovery section of The Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol.)





Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Prenatal alcohol exposure can cause brain damage, leading to developmental, cognitive, and behavioral problems, which can appear at any time during childhood. Alcohol can disrupt fetal development at any stage during a pregnancy—including at the earliest stages and before a woman knows she is pregnant.

Sexual enhancement drugs do NOT give extra pleasure.

Read again: no extra fun.
It only delays ejaculation, which means "last longer" in street terms.
But the longer you last, the more pressure on your heart. Yes: on your heart.
Even during regular intercourse, your heartbeat rate increases between FORTY and FIFTY percent when you reach orgasm and about discharging.

Have you asked why most men sleep off after sex?
When you take sexual enhancement drugs, it gets to a stage when you feel you have had enough, and all you want is ejaculation.
But it won't come.

You must get the heart, ALREADY STRESSED, to do extra work to force it.
By that time, if your heart is not strong enough, Baba God will just show mercy on you and call you home.And after the initial shock, we start preparing your burial. And walahi, if they fry puff-puff, I go chop cos I no go cry.
Let her call you "two-minute noodles."
Don't feel bad.

Let her go and meet her "one-hour beans."
If you last THREE HOURS, na only you and your partner know or whoever either of you tells.

It is not the Olympics where dem go dey cheer you, and you will collect medal after the race.

Above all, when you are above 50-55, don't try to sexually impress any woman.
EVEN YOUR WIFE!
If you die, another man will take over the 'stadium'!
That is, if that 'stadium' is not even being shared with someone else when you are still alive.
Just like Inter and AC Milan are sharing San Siro...!!!
Men, a word is enough.