If you've been putting down some wine, beer, or liquor for Breast Cancer Awareness Month - well, put it down. And don't pick it up again soon. I say that because 105,986 nurses can't be wrong. A team of scientists recently published an analysis of data from the Nurses' Health Study in which they found that even light drinking, spaced out over adulthood, does raise your risk for breast cancer. Previous theories held that binge drinking - think college group parties and nightclub scenes - and regular moderate to heavy drinking were more responsible for a rise in risk, rather than the single drink two or three times a week with your supper.
The study was led by Dr. Wendy Chen and it appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The team studied 28 years worth of data from 105,986 nurses and includes eight follow-up surveys to get a current picture of the participants' recent health. Now, it's not a huge increase in your risk if you take 3 small drinks a week, but it does cause your risk for breast cancer to rise a small bit. The study reported that, "We did find an increased risk at low levels of use, but the risk was quite small." On the other hand, the greater your alcohol use - the greater your breast cancer risk.
Alcohol increases your levels of estrogen, the hormone that fuels 80% of all breast tumors. If you drink alcohol regularly and are taking hormone replacement therapy, your risk is even greater. So while the combination of wine at dinner and hormones to fend off menopausal symptoms may feel good for a while, it isn't a healthy mix.
Some women like the health benefits of wine - it lowers the risk of other conditions like heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, and vascular dementia. But you can get those benefits without the zing of the alcohol - try alcohol-free drinks that contain resveratrol, or take nutritional supplements for the same good effects.
The study was led by Dr. Wendy Chen and it appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The team studied 28 years worth of data from 105,986 nurses and includes eight follow-up surveys to get a current picture of the participants' recent health. Now, it's not a huge increase in your risk if you take 3 small drinks a week, but it does cause your risk for breast cancer to rise a small bit. The study reported that, "We did find an increased risk at low levels of use, but the risk was quite small." On the other hand, the greater your alcohol use - the greater your breast cancer risk.
Alcohol increases your levels of estrogen, the hormone that fuels 80% of all breast tumors. If you drink alcohol regularly and are taking hormone replacement therapy, your risk is even greater. So while the combination of wine at dinner and hormones to fend off menopausal symptoms may feel good for a while, it isn't a healthy mix.
Some women like the health benefits of wine - it lowers the risk of other conditions like heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, and vascular dementia. But you can get those benefits without the zing of the alcohol - try alcohol-free drinks that contain resveratrol, or take nutritional supplements for the same good effects.
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