I should never read health news. But this report was Canadian. I thought it would be OK.
"Our results show that the heaviest consumers over the lifetime had the biggest increases in the risks of multiple sites of cancer," researcher Dr. Andrea Benedetti said. Many studies have suggested that moderate drinking -- usually defined as no more than a drink or two per day -- can be a healthy habit, particularly when it comes to heart disease risk. But the current study suggested that even such moderate drinking levels are linked to higher risks of certain cancers, at least when the alcohol of choice is beer or liquor.
I seem to be able to with stand this sort of news at the holidays but not as autumn gives you that come hither look. Starts all cozy sweaters and lovely colours in the woods and then turns into bare branches and some kid egging your car on Halloween. The research out of Montreal seems to have been published in the September 2009 Issue of Renal And Urology News, a publication which I never thought I would showcase here abouts. But it does introduce the idea of one's "beer years":
...the investigators examined cancer risk according to drink-years (the number of years of drinking multiplied by the average number of drinks per day of beer, wine, and spirits) among subjects who consumed seven or more drinks per week. Men with 180 drink-years or more had a significant 83% increased risk of PCa compared with subjects who abstained or did not regularly consume alcohol...
I think I have about sixty beer years in. Have I had more than two drinks per average per day in the thirty years since that party in high school? Can't imagine. There were some pretty clean living years in there, right? Right?
Comments
PofK - September 17, 2009 11:42 PM
"at least when the alcohol of choice is beer or liquor". Was the study by chance financed by Big Wine?
Tim - September 18, 2009 12:27 AM
PofK, I had that same thought, but not the motivation to look into the matter.
As for the cancer, somethin' is going to kill ya, might as well enjoy some tasty beer along the way.
rompinreggie - September 18, 2009 1:02 AM
I'm 61 years of age, and according to the scientific balderdash that comes from Montreal, I should have been deader than a door nail when the Wondering Wilburries brought out their first album. I would say, stay clear of hard liquor, and you all know what I am referring to. Occaisional wine douses may not hurt, in fact oxidate one, but beer? ney, I say. The guy that did the survey is full of prunes.
AbecedariusRex - September 18, 2009 1:22 AM
I agree with Tim. There's a study showing that everything will eventually kill you expect eating raw sawdust and drinking distilled water. Hell, there's probably some study showing that life itself kills you. So what do you do? Moderation.
Ecclesiastes:
As a man comes, so he departs,
and what does he gain,
since he toils for the wind?
All his days he eats in darkness,
with great frustration, affliction and anger.
Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot.
Alan - September 18, 2009 8:18 AM
There you go. Big wine and Biblical wisdom. Though I do like prunes.
Ian in Cowtown - September 18, 2009 11:16 AM
"When I read about the dangers of drinking... I gave up reading" - Henny Youngman
Dave S - September 19, 2009 9:50 PM
Darn it, Gosh Darnit, Dagnabit!
C'mon, the news story about the "study" is meaningless. The "study" itself, who knows?
"Benedetti, the lead author of the study, said that the lifestyle of a drinker was also considered. She explained that increased alcohol consumption is more often associated with bad eating habits, education level, socio-economic status, and smoking.
"We have attempted to take these confounding factors into account and adjust whatever ways we could. It's possible that there are some, like exercise, that we're not catching. But we think we did a pretty good job in controlling the others," she said."
Or not. I say.
Martin - September 28, 2009 8:17 PM
Agreed with Dave S. There's something up with this study. I can't see why beer would cause cancer. I really doubt they controlled for all factors. I don't buy it.
Also, another factor I can think of is whether or not the beer is macrobrewed or microbrewed. Microbrewed would be better for you (I would think) since it's less processed, more personal interaction with ingredients, etc.