Women, Drinking, and Cancer: Is there really a “safe” zone?
By Dr Joseph Nowinski, addiction psychologist and the author of Sober Love: How To Quit Drinking As a Couple (Johns Hopkins University Press, PB)
It has been a long-held belief that so-called “moderate” or “mild” drinking is actually good for your health. A glass or two of red wine, for example, has been commonly thought of as something that could ward off heart disease. “Low risk” drinking was even officially defined as no more than 14 drinks per week for men and 7 drinks per week for women. But does this really represent a complete absence of health risks? As it turns out, recent research says no, and that women in particular should eye such guidelines with skepticism. Here’s why:
Many people assume that these “low risk” limits are based on the fact that the average man weighs more than the average woman. But that’s not the case. The reason is that as alcohol is metabolised in our bodies it is converted into a chemical called acetaldehyde, which is a carcinogen. Our bodies also produce an enzyme that neutralizes acetaldehyde. The problem is that women produce less of this enzyme, which means that they have more carcinogen circulating in their bodies for longer than men and need to be aware of the risk posed by this.
A second cautionary fact about the supposed healthy use of alcohol can be found in a recent comprehensive study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Based on a huge database of 4.8 million men and women whose drinking was less than two drinks per day, the study concluded that “there were significantly larger risks of mortality among female drinkers compared with female lifetime nondrinkers” leading the authors of the study to summarise that “low-volume alcohol drinking was not associated with protection against death from all causes.”
Given these risk factors, it would be wise for women—especially those with a personal or family history of cancer, to consider a shift from even moderate drinking to sobriety. Within couples, it can be helpful to make this lifestyle change together. Sober Love: How to Quit Drinking as a Couple offers practical advice and proven strategies to help couples end their relationship with alcohol and establish a happier, healthier relationship in the process.
