By now, you’re probably aware that alcohol can do some pretty significant damage to your body. Drinking even moderate amounts of alcohol can and will do some lasting damage to your system if you’re not careful.
A new study, conducted by researcher Jennie Connor at the department of preventive and social medicine at the University of Otago in New Zealand, said 5.8% of the world’s cancer deaths can be attributed to drinking — a figure we didn’t have before.
The research also shows that drinking is more or less a direct cause of no fewer than seven types of cancers.
“There is strong evidence that alcohol causes cancer at seven sites in the body and probably others. Current estimates suggest that alcohol-attributable cancers at these sites make up 5.8% of all cancer deaths world-wide,” the study concludes. “Confirmation of specific biological mechanisms by which alcohol increases the incidence of each type of cancer is not required to infer that alcohol is a cause.”
She listed some of the specific types of cancers and the terrible side effect of alcohol consumption.
Starting with the liver cancer, Connor said drinking does damage to the liver. If you care about your liver, it would serve you well to moderate your drinking habits.
Another is the Colon Cancer. According to the research, aside from cancers of the lung, colon cancer is the second-most-deadly form you can be diagnosed with.
The research also said alcohol consumption is one of the risks that could lead to breast cancer. Other types of cancer associated with alcohol consumption, the research said are: Rectal cancer; Laryngeal cancer; Esophageal cancer and Oropharyngeal cancer.
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She said the skin also suffers from excessive alcohol consumption. “If you notice your skin doesn’t look so great in the morning, you can point your finger at the greasy food, or you could just blame it all on the alcohol.”
Although liver disease is something that develops over time, getting drunk often can contribute.
According to the American Liver Foundation, there are three types of liver conditions you can get from drinking too much alcohol: alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis.
While the first two are reversible, cirrhosis is not. It results in severe scarring and altered structure of the liver, which inhibits it from functioning normally. Liver disease is a serious issue, and symptoms are not always noticeable in the beginning stages. That’s why it’s important to drink responsibly and know your limits.