effects of alcohol

Alcohol Consumption Increases Prostate Cancer Risk

Posted on by azalcrehabctr

After examining 27 studies, researchers in Canada and Australia have published a paper warning that alcohol consumption increases a person’s risk for prostate cancer. And while the research is not there to say that alcohol causes prostate cancer, there is a definite link between consumption and odds that someone will develop cancer of the prostate. This information, which is now being shared with the public, highlights the need for more studies involving alcohol and its link to different cancers in both males and females.

The researchers poured over several different studies and were able to determine that the more a man drinks the more likely they are to develop prostate cancer. Even men who drink about 2 alcoholic drinks a day are 8 to 23% more likely to have this type of cancer.

So, what exactly is the connection between alcohol and prostate cancer? Researchers are unable to answer this question and many have said that more funding needs to be allocated for further research into alcohol’s effects on cancer cells. Some have hypothesized that alcohol changes the DNA in the cell over time. And while the exact source of these cancers is unknown, it is clear that alcohol greatly increases the risks for obtaining prostate cancer, which is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in males.

“This new study contributes to the strengthening evidence that alcohol consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer. Alcohol’s contribution to prostate cancer will need to be factored into future estimates of the global burden of disease,” explained Tim Stockwell, co-author of the study.

Over the last few years, researchers have found more and more evidence that alcohol greatly increases cancer risk in drinkers. This new analysis adds prostate cancer to mouth, stomach, esophagus, and liver cancers that drinkers are more likely to develop. Women drinkers are also at a greater risk of developing breast cancer. The toll that these cancers take on the patient, families and taxpayers is something that need to be explored further as well.

Alcohol and its Effects

Posted on by azalcrehabctr

It seems that alcohol has been around since the beginning of time. In fact, there is evidence that alcohol existed at least as early as 10,000 BC. Alcohol is characterized as a depressant. This means that when any type of alcohol is consumed its effects of the central nervous system lower the level of stimulation. Alcohol also lowers the mental function of an individual.

Like any drug, alcohol produces a state of euphoria when ingested. For some people, this state is so desirable that they turn to alcohol so frequently that they develop an addiction. Alcohol addiction is one of the hardest addictions to overcome as well as the most prevalent in society. This is largely due to the general availability and legality of its consumption. Clearly this is different from street drugs like heroin or cocaine, where the individual has to go out of their way to come into contact with the drug.

When a person develops an addiction to alcohol they often consume more and more alcohol in order to feel the desired effects. The longer a person drinks, the greater tolerance they build towards the alcohol. Their body needs more and more of the chemical to create a reaction.

Oftentimes people get started abusing alcohol when it alleviates some sort of stress in their lives. Once that happens, the alcohol then seems like it can be a solution to everything, but in reality it only makes it worse. For other people, the desire to drink comes from the way they were raised. Studies show that children who grow up in households where alcohol is consumed heavily on a daily basis are more likely to abuse alcohol as well, whereas more responsible and moderate amounts can produce less damaging behaviors in most cases.

While there is no way to tell if someone is going to develop an alcohol addiction, researchers have noticed that in addition to the way people are raised, other factors such as personality can play a role as well as other circumstances in life and coping skills.

If you know someone in need of help for an alcohol problem, contact us today for more information about effective treatments.