Dhat smoking can lead to cancer is now well known: the smoker is warned of impending death as soon as he reaches for his pack of cigarettes and sees the warning notice. However, there are no comparable signs at beer gardens and wine bars. Far fewer people are aware that even the most popular intoxicant among Germans can cause the body cells to grow pathologically: alcohol is a risk factor for many types of cancer – even in comparatively small amounts, as recent studies by Korean scientists have suggested. Some are already talking about a paradigm shift: practically every drop can cause harm. However, this knowledge has not yet reached society.
An estimated 22,000 new cancer cases in Germany in 2020 were directly linked to alcohol consumption, according to the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg (DKFZ). Among those who died from their cancer, alcohol was the cause for six percent of men and three percent of women.
The form in which you drink is apparently irrelevant for the risk of cancer – according to the data, the amount of pure alcohol from wine, beer or schnapps is decisive. The amount of alcohol consumed determines the risk for men of developing liver and colon cancer, as well as the risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity, larynx or pharynx. In women, alcohol also increases the risk of breast cancer, presumably because breast tissue is more sensitive to the harmful substances in alcohol. In fact, alcohol is the biggest avoidable risk factor for breast cancer, according to the World Health Organization. In Europe, seven out of 100 breast cancer cases can be attributed to drinking. A connection is suspected for other types of cancer such as pancreatic or stomach cancer, the DKFZ warns in its cancer information service.
Is a glass of red wine healthy?
Despite everything, the idea that there is critical and harmless consumption prevails in Germany. For women it is less than 12 grams of pure alcohol per day, men are therefore allowed to drink 24 grams. This corresponds to one or two small beers of 0.3 liters each. A glass of wine contains about 19 grams of pure alcohol.
For a long time, addiction researchers only focused on those who drink more than that – everything below seems harmless. Many people even believe that some alcoholic beverages are even health-promoting, namely red wine. It belongs to the so-called Mediterranean diet, like fish and olive oil. And this diet prolongs life. “Is it time to prescribe red wine for our patients?” is the title of a study published in the International Journal of Angiology in 2009 by physicians from the renowned Yale University in the USA, among others.
Alcohol, especially red wine, even plays a key role in preventing cardiovascular disease and cancer. This is explained by the fact that red wine contains so-called polyphenols, among other things. These are antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals. These arise in the body from environmental toxins or unhealthy foods and damage the cells, they also accelerate aging processes and promote inflammation.
In theory, alcohol also protects against cancer. However, the theory has not left researchers alone, says doctor Sabina Ulbricht, “because alcohol is always a cytotoxin”. She has been researching the prevention of diseases at the University of Greifswald and the German Center for Cardiovascular Research for many years and will hold a session on the topic “Cancer Prevention. Risk factor alcohol”.
When alcohol is broken down in the body, acetaldehyde is produced, among other things. This substance is very reactive and easily binds to other molecules, including genetic material, writes the DKFZ. This could lead to direct mutations, i.e. errors in the construction plan. Alcohol also affects sex hormones, which could explain the connection between alcohol consumption and breast cancer. But it is also clear that it is not yet fully understood how drinking and cancer are related.
