Breast cancer: Drinking wine increases the risk

A recent U.S. study, consuming two glasses of wine a day increases the risk of breast cancer by 50%.

Red wine is often praised for its cardiovascular benefits. But in a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), consumption of three to six glasses of wine a week could instead have serious effects in women about their risk of developing breast cancer .

Researchers from the universities of Harvard, Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts are therefore concluded that this consumption increase the risk of 15%, compared to those who do not drink. Worse, women who drink more, including two glasses of wine per day on average, are increasing the risk by 51% compared to those who never drink alcohol.

To achieve this, the researchers analyzed data from 105,986 women aged 30 to 55 who had completed questionnaires about their habits and alcohol consumption when they were younger. Over a period of 30 years, they have identified and the number of metastatic breast cancer occurred in women and 7,690 were counted.

Scientists believe that drinking 18 to 40 years increases the risk of breast cancer and it would persist even if women reduce their alcohol consumption in excess of 40 years. Of drinking, even infrequently, increase the risk of breast cancer even after taking into account regular consumption of alcohol.
"Stop alcohol can reduce the chances of developing breast cancer"

Although the precise mechanism of this correlation between alcohol consumption and breast cancer remains unknown, one possible explanation could be the effects of alcohol on the level of estrogen circulating in the blood, are the authors of the study . "The relationship between alcohol consumption and breast cancer is very complex. We have known for years that small amounts of alcohol can change the mechanisms of hormones. But all women are not affected in an equivalent way, "says Professor Karol Sikora, a cancer specialist and medical director CancerpartnersUK quoted by the Daily Mail.

"This study adds to already established strong evidence to the effect that drinking small amounts of alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. But completely stop alcohol can reduce the chances of developing breast cancer, as far as can be done to maintain a healthy weight and regular physical activity, "says the other hand, Sarah Williams, Information Officer of Health at Cancer Research UK.