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Risky drinks

THUNDER BAY -- That second or third glass of wine with your dinner could be a fatal mistake.
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Dr. Mark Henderson, regional vice-president Cancer Care Ontario, says their findings show that risks for different cancers substantially increase when the recommended limit of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women is exceeded (Matt Vis, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY -- That second or third glass of wine with your dinner could be a fatal mistake.

That’s according to Cancer Care Ontario, which has released a report after finding that as many as 3,000 new cancer cases in the province are linked to alcohol consumption.

Dr. Mark Henderson, regional vice-president Cancer Care Ontario, says their findings show that risks for different cancers substantially increase when the recommended limit of two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women is exceeded.

“It’s a warning to everybody that alcohol in moderation is a good thing, but alcohol in excess is a danger to your health in several different ways,” Henderson said.

“It’s now apparent that too much alcohol is associated with excess cancers in the population.”

While between 10 to 25 grams of alcohol per day has been identified as the barometer in the report, the report says there is no safe amount of alcohol to prevent those risks from increasing.

The report states people who overindulge are at close to an 80 per cent increased risk for developing oral cavity and pharynx cancer, between 40-50 per cent more risk of esophageal cancer and nearly 20 per cent higher risk of liver cancer.

Henderson added other studies have indicated a higher instance of strokes has been linked to excessive alcohol consumption.

He also takes aim at what he believes is a misconception surrounding red wine, that people believe having a glass per day receive health benefits.

Rather, he says, there are a lot more disadvantages than advantages.

“If I come across a patient who is a teetotaler or has a very minimal alcohol consumption I don’t recommend they start drinking for the supposed benefits of alcohol consumption,” Henderson said

“It seems the more we study alcohol we find the more about it’s deleterious effects and the less we can show there are beneficial effects from drinking alcohol.”





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