100 Perks of Having Cancer: Plus 100 Health Tips for Surviving It (63 page)

Perk #64

Cancer Motivated Me to

Drop Some Bad Habits . . .

B
efore getting cancer, I considered myself

to be living a healthy-ish lifestyle. I

didn’t smoke, I exercised on a regular basis,

and I even ate the occasional green salad.

But ya know, we all have our vices. For some

it is chocolate (I couldn’t be bothered); for

others it’s fast food (I’d much rather cook a

leisurely meal at home); for me, it’s wine.

Nothing brings me more pleasure than sip-

ping on a cold sauvignon blanc. First my

taste buds spring to life, then I feel the

warm sensation as it hits my belly, followed

by the comforting feeling of wine-induced

Cheers!

relaxation.
Ah
. . .

It is not my fault that I was born loving wine. What did mom expect by

giving me a name like Florence? Obviously with a name that originated in

Italy, I have a genetic predisposition to want wine with every meal. But alas,

I have learned that alcohol in any form—even red wine, which can be good

for your heart—is not good for cancer. Therefore, I have had to break my

bad habit of having a glass of wine on a whim. While I still do engage in

the occasional libation, I try to limit it to just ONE glass.

For optimum health,

limit your alcohol consumption.

I 262 J

Perk #64: Cancer Motivated Me to Drop Some Bad Habits . . .

263

HEALTH TIP #64

To Drink or Not to Drink?

That is the question with no solid answer.

Look hard enough, and you can find a study that supports your habits,

whatever they may be. (I’m still on the hunt for one that says a messy desk

will add years to your life.) But alas, if you are looking for solid hard evidence

that says, “Alcohol doesn’t affect your risk of cancer,” you won’t find it.

Every five years, the American Cancer Society publishes a document enti-

tled “Nutritional and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Prevention.”

Dozens of medical specialists and professionals get together and review

hundred of studies with pages of data from the previous five years to deter-

mine if there have been any significant findings that they feel they want to

share with us common folk.

Alcohol consumption is one of the topics studied. According to the most

current (2011) guideline, the report states: “Drink no more than one drink

per day for women or two drinks per day for men.” (Damn that “high meta-

bolic” Y chromosome.)

But why limit it at all? I know, you want the facts before you take such

a drastic step. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but . . .

It has been proven that alcohol is a risk factor for the following cancers:

●
mouth

●
throat

●
voice box

●
esophagus

●
liver

●
colon and rectum

●
breast

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100 Perks of Having Cancer

Alcohol is an irritant to tissue. (Ever get vodka in your eye? I have . . .

don’t ask.) So it makes sense that the area that alcohol “touches” as it passes

through your teeth would be at risk. Irritated cells are damaged cells. When

cells are damaged, they repair themselves. When they are repeatedly dam-

aged, they are constantly building new tissue, which can increase the like-

lihood that somewhere along the line, a mistake will be made in the DNA.

That mistake is a little thing we call “cancer.” Furthermore, in the colon and

rectum, alcohol and normal gut bacteria mix to form acetaldehyde, which

is also a cancer-causing agent.

Alcohol is metabolized in the liver, so it should come as no surprise that

it increases the risk of liver cancer. Also keep in mind that the liver is our

“detox” machine. If you mess with the machine, and it malfunctions, it

won’t be able to rid our bodies of other harmful agents like pollution, plas-

tics, chemicals, pesticides, and all the other dozens of impurities we come

in contact with every day that threaten our health.

Breast cancer looks a bit out of place on this list, but it isn’t. Alcohol

raises your blood estrogen level. Estrogen is a hormone. Breast tissue is hor-

mone sensitive. (Everyone “on the rag” right now can attest to this.) Your

breast tissue will be affected by alcohol because it affects your hormones.

Simple as that.

Recently, an interesting fact has been discovered that may have women

lining up for a new test: a serum CYP2E1 test.

At a 2012 meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molec-

ular Biology, two scientists working out of the University of New Mexico

may have found a link between the presence of a protein, CYP2E1, breast

cancer, and alcohol. This protein is found in breast cells and actually breaks

down ethanol, the alcohol part of a drink. While you might think “breaking

down ethanol” is a good thing, it actually creates “free radicals” that are

cell destructors and tumor activators. But not every woman’s breasts have

the same amount of this protein. Those with low CYP2E1 have a lower risk

that the alcohol will create the destructive free radicals and cause harm.

Knowing your level could help you decide if that glass of wine would be

harmful or not.

But, on the other hand, alcohol in moderation may have the benefit

of reducing your stress. For some, that glass of wine is the “off switch” when

Perk #64: Cancer Motivated Me to Drop Some Bad Habits . . .

265

feeling stressed. Since stress is known to exacerbate many illnesses, the

relaxation effect might just outweigh some of the risk from the alcohol

itself. (At least that’s what Flo keeps telling me.) Wine’s relationship to

stress levels seems an interesting subject, although I couldn’t

find that it has been studied anywhere. (If any scientist out

Limiting yourself to

there would like to conduct this study, Flo has volunteered

one glass of wine is

to be a subject!)

suggested for reducing

Also, if your one drink a day is red wine, you are getting

cancer risk after

two important cancer-fighting agents: polyphenols and

treatment. But that

resveratrol. Both are the topics of current studies looking into

doesn’t mean you

their possible role in cancer prevention.

can’t act like you’ve

Bottom line: During treatment for cancer, you should

had three.

avoid alcohol completely, but after you’re finished with treat-

ment, one drink of alcohol—one five-ounce glass of wine,

one twelve-ounce beer, or 11/2 ounces of hard liquor per day—is fine as

long as you and your healthcare practitioner agree. Sorry, you cannot “save”

your one glass a day this week to drink seven on Saturday.

Cheers!