Alcohol is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancers

Now, about alcohol

Alcohol is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancers. The more you drink, the higher your colorectal cancer risk. It doesn’t matter which type of alcohol you drink. Alcohol may inhibit the body’s absorption of vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, vitamin E, and folate (the last two of which are potential cancer fighters), and alcohol may inhibit cells from being able to repair themselves. If you do drink, do so in moderation:

One drink a day for women.
Two drinks for men.
Researchers advise that if you enjoy alcohol, limit yourself to three drinks a week.

Other reasons to drink in moderation

Keep in mind that results of six international studies estimated that drinking two to five alcoholic drinks a day raises a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer by more than 40 percent. Thinking positively, if you keep alcohol within recommended limits, experts estimate it will help prevent up to 20 percent of cancers of the aerodigestive tract, the colon, rectum, and breast (Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective, 1997, American Institute for Cancer Research).

Five glasses of water every day

Here’s something we should all be doing anyway. We hear it all the time drink eight glasses of water a day. Women who drank more than five glasses of water each day (in a study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle), had a 50 percent less chance of developing colon cancer than women who drank fewer than two glasses of water each day. Men showed a small reduction in risk.

How is it helping? Water helps prevent constipation and speeds up the intestines in general (which might reduce the contact with, and concentrations of, carcinogens in the colon).

How can you drink more water? Here are some ideas:

Drink water with every meal.
Remember to rehydrate yourself mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Keep a fresh pitcher in the fridge so cold water is only a quick pour away.
Take a water bottle of ice water with you when you’re driving around. Sometimes this is the only time we have to sip some water.

Tips to take home:

Instead of having an alcoholic drink at the end of the day, at a restaurant, or at a party, you can:

Order a fancy drink without the alcohol, such as a virgin daiquiri, margarita, or Bloody Mary.
Enjoy many of the great tasting non-alcoholic beers and wines that are now available.
Have a fancy coffee drink (without the alcohol).
Ask the bartender for club soda or sparkling mineral water with a wedge of lemon or lime.
Enjoy an iced or hot tea, or a glass of lemonade.
Order hot chocolate, especially during the winter.
If you are really thirsty, go for water, the ultimate thirst quencher.
If you are finding it difficult to drink less or go a day without alcohol, please consider getting some medical advice or professional help.

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