In the second of a series of articles, medical student Adrienne Gatt looks at how one can reduce the risk of developing colon cancer through alcohol intake.
Alcoholic drinks are the most common carcinogens ingested by humans. They are made up of ethanol and other substances such as nitrosamines, which help the cells of the colon absorb the carcinogenic compounds present in alcohol.
Increased alcohol consumption is said to increase the likelihood of developing colon cancer. This risk is not only increased due to the ethanol present, but also due to the additional chemicals present within these beverages.
Studies have shown that men tend to consume more alcohol than women on average, however, it has still proven to increase the likelihood of colon cancer development in both sexes.
Studies have shown that alcohol increases the chance of colon cancer development, but this increase is said to be more significant with respect to heavy drinking, greater than two standard drinks daily
How does ethanol increase colon cancer risk?
Ethanol can enter the body in two ways, primarily through the ingestion of alcoholic beverages such as wine, spirits and beer. It is absorbed by the stomach or the intestines and is sent to the liver, where it is broken down into a substance called acetaldehyde. This substance is highly toxic and is mainly responsible for inducing the development of colon cancer.
Usually, acetaldehyde is further broken down into a compound called acetate by the enzymes of the body, which is no longer carcinogenic. Ethanol is also produced naturally by the body through the fermentation of sugar by bacteria present within the colon itself. These bacteria are also responsible for breaking down ethanol into acetaldehyde but do not break down acetaldehyde into acetate, resulting in the accumulation of the mutagenic compound within the colon.
Does alcohol affect each person differently? How?
Yes, each individual has a different response to alcohol. This is mainly the reason why people have different alcohol tolerances. However, this factor also contributes to one’s likelihood of developing colon cancer. As previously mentioned, ethanol is broken down into acetaldehyde by the body and acetaldehyde is further broken down into acetate. These two reactions are facilitated by the enzymes of our body.
What alters our response to alcohol would be the mutations present in these enzymes. These mutations can either speed up or slow down ethanol and acetaldehyde breakdown. If one’s enzymes slows down the breakdown of acetaldehyde, this toxic substance will ultimately accumulate in the body and increase the chances of developing colon cancer by directly and indirectly causing mutations within the cells of the colon.
Do different types of alcohol have different effects on the body?
Alcohol is classified into three main types: wine, liquor and beer. Minimal research has been carried out in this area. However, some research has stated that there have been links between beer and spirit intake with colon cancer manifestation. This relationship is not clearly defined as of yet and there is still no compelling proof that alcohol types have distinctive effects on colon cancer risk.
What can I do to lower my chances of developing colon cancer?
The most crucial step we can take to reduce our chances of developing colon cancer would be to monitor the amount of alcohol we drink. Studies have shown that alcohol increases the chance of colon cancer development but this increase is said to be more significant with respect to heavy drinking, greater than two standard drinks daily. Light-to-moderate drinking has shown to have negligible association with colon cancer development.
Therefore, it is still important to consume alcohol from time to time, as like any other food or drink, it has its benefits. For example, red wine is said to lower cholesterol levels. However, it is also important that we pay attention to how much alcohol we drink on a daily basis. The more alcohol you drink, the greater are your chances of developing colon cancer in the future.
Adrienne Gatt is a medical student studying at the University of Malta who wrote a literature review on the effect of dietary compounds on colon cancer as part of her medical studies.