Imagine sipping on a glass of orange juice. Now, replace the orange juice with alcohol. We all know that drinking too much alcohol isn’t healthy.
But what happens if you change how much you drink? Does that affect your health too?
Scientists have been studying this question.
They want to find out how changing your drinking habits can impact your health, especially if it can lead to diseases like cancer.
They recently discovered some interesting answers, which we will discuss in this article.
Before we dive into the research, let’s understand what alcohol is. Alcohol is a liquid found in drinks like beer, wine, and spirits. When consumed, it affects our bodies and minds.
Adults sometimes drink alcohol in social situations, but too much alcohol is harmful. It can damage our liver, heart, and brain. It can also increase the risk of developing various cancers.
A group of scientists from Seoul National University Hospital in South Korea carried out a study. They wanted to see if changing drinking habits affects the chances of getting cancer.
To find the answer, they looked at the health data of 4.5 million people. This information came from the Korean National Health Insurance Service.
An increase in drinking leads to increased risk
They found out that people who started drinking more than they used to had a higher chance of getting cancer. This was true for cancers related to alcohol, and also all other types of cancer.
Say you didn’t use to drink alcohol at all, but you started drinking a little bit. Or maybe you were already drinking a little bit, but then you started drinking a lot.
In both these cases, your risk of getting cancer goes up. This shows us that it’s not just how much you drink, but also if you start drinking more than before, that can be dangerous.
The research also found good news. If you used to drink a lot and then you started drinking less, your chances of getting cancer go down.
This is compared to people who kept drinking a lot. So, if you’re a heavy drinker and cut down your drinking to a moderate or mild level, your risk for cancer decreases.
The study also showed that if you quit drinking completely, you also reduce your chances of getting cancer.
However, there’s a catch. In the beginning, when you just quit drinking, your chances of getting cancer might still be high.
But if you manage to stay away from alcohol for a long time, this risk goes away. This tells us that keeping up with good habits over time is very important.
This research teaches us a big lesson about drinking and health. If we drink more alcohol than we used to, we might be harming our health more than we think.
But if we cut down on our drinking or quit altogether, we can lower our chances of getting diseases like cancer.
So, the next time you pick up a glass, think about these findings. Small changes in your drinking habits can make a big difference in your health.
The research suggests that it’s better to stay on the safe side by drinking less. It’s important for us to remember this, and make good choices about our health.
The study was published in JAMA Network Open.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about supplements that may increase cancer risk, and can vitamin D help prevent or treat cancer.
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