Alcohol and colon cancer. Worse than red meat?

What most people know increases the risk of developing colon cancer is red meat such as beef and processed meat such as ham, sausage, and bacon.  Therefore, red meat and processed meat are group 2A carcinogens designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO).  However, there are foods that increase the risk of colon cancer more than red meat and processed meat.  As you might expect, alcohol is one such food.  In this post, we will look at the overall relationship between alcohol and colon cancer.

Alcohol and colon cancer. Worse than red meat?

 

References

• Health Chosun in Korea May 25, 2024
• Seoul Economic Daily, Korea, April 29, 2024
• August 10, 2023 Hemophilia Life in Korea

Comparison of red meat, processed meat and colon cancer risk

• When consuming 100g of red meat per day, the risk of developing colon cancer increases by 17%.
• When consuming 50g of processed meat per day, the risk of colon cancer increases by 18%.
• The average daily intake of Koreans in 2016 was 69.5g of red meat and 10.3g of processed meat (alcohol has the greatest influence on the development of colon cancer in Koreans).

Alcohol and colon cancer. Worse than red meat?

 

Link between alcohol and colon cancer

A research team at the University of Utah's School of Pharmacy studied 45 studies on the relationship between eating habits and the risk of colon cancer.  The results are as follows:

• The amount of alcohol equivalent to 10g of pure alcohol is defined as one standard drink (WHO)
• Approximately 5.5 glasses of 200mL 4.5-degree beer
• If you drink more than 4 standard drinks a day, your risk of developing colon cancer is 58% higher.
• If you must drink, consume only within the recommended amount (WHO recommends alcohol consumption within 40g of alcohol per day for men and within 20g for women).

Alcohol and colon cancer. Worse than red meat?

 

Foods (nutrients) that lower the risk of colon cancer from alcohol

• Consuming a lot of calcium reduces the risk of colon cancer by 23%.
• Eating a lot of dietary fiber reduces the risk of colon cancer by 16%.
• Eating a lot of yogurt reduces the risk of colon cancer by 19%.

Alcohol and colon cancer. Worse than red meat?

In this post, we looked at the overall relationship between alcohol and colon cancer.  For your health, it is best to drink alcohol within the recommended amount and eat foods that lower the risk of colon cancer.  Please take good care of your health.