Light drinkers show ‘lowest’ prostate cancer risk
Source: The Spirits Business
by Kristiane Sherry
12th September, 2016
A study examining the link between alcohol intake and prostate cancer has found that light drinkers have a lower risk of developing the disease than both binge drinkers and abstainers.
The research, conducted by the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research (ISFAR) used data from 11,372 Finnish twins followed from 1981 from 2012. Alcohol intake data was provided twice.
During the study period, 601 incidents of prostate cancer were reported, and 110 of those followed died from the disease.
According to ISFAR, a higher risk of prostate cancer was round for heavy drinkers and binge drinkers. There was also a higher risk for abstainers than moderate drinkers. The lowest risk was found to be among light drinkers who did not binge drink.
ISFAR says the data suggest there may be a “J-shaped” relation between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk.
While the study did not look at the types of alcohol consumed, it is expected to be mostly spirits and beer from the population.
Ramon Estruch, MD, PhD, who reviewed the research, commented: “The results of this study are really very interesting, since the relationship between alcohol and cancer continues to be a matter of concern.
“I would like to underline that the main conclusion is that light-alcohol consumption reduces the risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality compared to abstainers, and also compared to heavy regular alcohol consumption and binge drinking patterns.
“Unfortunately, no data on food intake have been included in the analysis as a confounding factor. In our experience (not yet published), the effect of alcohol intake (even moderately) on cancer varies depending on the dietary pattern of the consumers (healthy diets – i.e. Mediterranean diet vs. unhealthy diets – i.e. Western dietary pattern). The type of alcoholic beverages consumed is also important.”
A study, published in the scientific journal Addiction earlier this year, claimed that there is now enough evidence to cite alcohol as a “direct cause” of seven types of cancer.