Study shows how drinking alcohol increases risk of several cancers

You may want to think twice about having just one more drink.

Scientists have found clues as to why drinking alcohol increases a person’s cancer risk, according to a study published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature. Alcohol damages DNA in stem cells, and the study from the United Kingdom shed light on how.

When stem cells are damaged, scientists said, they can give rise to cancer. Studies have already shown drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing seven types of cancer - including such common types as breast, rectum and colon.

The study also discovered two ways the body counteracts the damage caused by alcohol, according to the news agency Reuters. A group of enzymes breaks down a dangerous chemical that the body produces when it breaks down alcohol.

The body also has various DNA repair systems which will fix and even reverse different types of DNA damage most of the time. But in some instances and some people, those repair systems don’t work.

“It’s important to remember that alcohol clearance and DNA repair systems are not perfect, and alcohol can still cause cancer in different ways — even in people whose defense mechanisms are intact,” said professor Ketan Patel, lead author of the study.

Millions of people around the world, particularly those from South East Asia, either lack these enzymes or carry faulty versions of them, scientists say. When they drink, the dangerous body-produced chemical called acetaldehyde builds up in their bodies. It causes a flushed complexion and also leads to them feeling unwell.

The best response to the risk, scientists say, is to not drink alcohol at all. Studies have shown it doesn’t matter which type of alcohol one drinks — wine, beer or liquor.

For those who won’t consider giving up drinking, scientists recommend cutting down on alcohol intake to reduce the risk.

This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 8:16 PM with the headline "Study shows how drinking alcohol increases risk of several cancers."