Tag: Breast cancer

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In May 2023, Ireland became the “first” country in the European Union to mandate health labelling on alcoholic drinks with the law anticipated to take effect from 22 May 2026. @Just_Drinks

Evidence suggests “one or fewer drinks per day” may elevate the risk for cancers.

January 6, 2025

The US Surgeon General has issued an advisory recommending updates to alcoholic beverage labels to include warnings about the risks of cancer.

The document, titled Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, addressed the “direct link” between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of cancer.

According to the advisory, alcohol is the “third leading preventable cause” of cancer in the US, following tobacco use and obesity.

It underscored that alcohol consumption contributed to cancers of the breast, colorectum, oesophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box, regardless of the alcohol type.

Cancer risk increases with alcohol intake, and evidence suggests that even low levels—such as “one or fewer drinks per day” —can elevate the risk for breast, mouth, and throat cancers, according to a statement from the Surgeon General’s office.

Dr Murthy called for revising the Surgeon General’s health warning labels on alcohol-containing beverages to include information about cancer risks.

This advisory also emphasised the need to reevaluate recommended limits for alcohol consumption based on the latest research to account for cancer risks.

Dr Murthy said: “Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the US – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the US – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk. 

“This advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimise harm.”

The release also urged public health professionals and community groups to emphasise alcohol consumption “as a leading modifiable cancer risk factor” and improve education efforts to raise public awareness.

The surgeon general advised people to consider the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk “when deciding whether to drink or how much to have”.

The action comes in response to a 2020 letter addressed to Dr Murthy by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, American Institute for Cancer Research, Consumer Federation of America, and US Alcohol Policy Alliance, urging an update to alcoholic beverage labels to include cancer warnings.

A 2024 World Health Organization (WHO) report noted that around 2.6 million annual deaths are due to alcohol consumption.

In May 2023, Ireland became the “first” country in the European Union to mandate health labelling on alcoholic drinks with the law anticipated to take effect from 22 May 2026.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) issued new guidance in 2023, warning that no level of alcohol consumption is risk-free and recommended a maximum of two drinks per week.

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US Surgeon General calls for cancer warnings on alcohol labels @Just_Drinks

Evidence suggests “one or fewer drinks per day” may elevate the risk for cancers.

January 6, 2025

The US Surgeon General has issued an advisory recommending updates to alcoholic beverage labels to include warnings about the risks of cancer.

The document, titled Surgeon General’s Advisory on Alcohol and Cancer Risk, addressed the “direct link” between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of cancer.

According to the advisory, alcohol is the “third leading preventable cause” of cancer in the US, following tobacco use and obesity.

It underscored that alcohol consumption contributed to cancers of the breast, colorectum, oesophagus, liver, mouth, throat, and voice box, regardless of the alcohol type.

Cancer risk increases with alcohol intake, and evidence suggests that even low levels—such as “one or fewer drinks per day” —can elevate the risk for breast, mouth, and throat cancers, according to a statement from the Surgeon General’s office.

Dr Murthy called for revising the Surgeon General’s health warning labels on alcohol-containing beverages to include information about cancer risks.

This advisory also emphasised the need to reevaluate recommended limits for alcohol consumption based on the latest research to account for cancer risks.

Dr Murthy said: “Alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the US – greater than the 13,500 alcohol-associated traffic crash fatalities per year in the US – yet the majority of Americans are unaware of this risk. 

“This advisory lays out steps we can all take to increase awareness of alcohol’s cancer risk and minimise harm.”

The release also urged public health professionals and community groups to emphasise alcohol consumption “as a leading modifiable cancer risk factor” and improve education efforts to raise public awareness.

The surgeon general advised people to consider the link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk “when deciding whether to drink or how much to have”.

The action comes in response to a 2020 letter addressed to Dr Murthy by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, American Institute for Cancer Research, Consumer Federation of America, and US Alcohol Policy Alliance, urging an update to alcoholic beverage labels to include cancer warnings.

A 2024 World Health Organization (WHO) report noted that around 2.6 million annual deaths are due to alcohol consumption.

In May 2023, Ireland became the “first” country in the European Union to mandate health labelling on alcoholic drinks with the law anticipated to take effect from 22 May 2026.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) issued new guidance in 2023, warning that no level of alcohol consumption is risk-free and recommended a maximum of two drinks per week.

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5 surprising benefits of walking: @HarvardHealth #healthaware #physicalactivity





Harvard Health

@HarvardHealth
·



5 surprising benefits of #walking: Any physical activity is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. https://bit.ly/3uyNvhI #HarvardHealth

The next time you have a check-up, don’t be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. Yes, this simple activity that you’ve been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted as “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug,” in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of course, you probably know that any physical activity, including walking, is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. Here’s a list of five that may surprise you.

1. It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. They then discovered that, among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.

2. It helps tame a sweet tooth. A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. And the latest research confirms that walking can reduce cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.

3. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any kind of physical activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week. And walking provided this protection even for the women with breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones.

4. It eases joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.

5. It boosts immune function. Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.

Image: gradyreese/Getty images

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Diageo says: Women have less of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol, so the same amount of alcohol will affect women more than men. They know this but you have to go to their #DRINKIQ to be informed


Since women are generally smaller than men, the same amount of alcohol will affect women more than men. 
However, even if a man and woman who weigh the same drink the same amount, the alcohol will still affect the woman more. This is because:
Women generally have a lower percentage of natural body water than men, so they achieve higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood faster
Women have less ADH, the enzyme that breaks down alcohol, and so aren’t as effective at processing alcohol as men
This is why the recommended number of standard drinks in most countries is different for men and women. 


DiageoEU

@DiageoEU
·


40% of people said that men and women feel the effects of alcohol equally. FALSE! Women have less of the enzyme that breaks down alcohol so the same amount of alcohol will affect women more than men. #DrinkPositive #DRINKiQ
https://drinkiq.com/en-gb/

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5 surprising benefits of walking: @HarvardHealth #healthaware #physicalactivity





Harvard Health

@HarvardHealth
·



5 surprising benefits of #walking: Any physical activity is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. https://bit.ly/3uyNvhI #HarvardHealth

The next time you have a check-up, don’t be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. Yes, this simple activity that you’ve been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted as “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug,” in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of course, you probably know that any physical activity, including walking, is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. Here’s a list of five that may surprise you.

1. It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. They then discovered that, among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.

2. It helps tame a sweet tooth. A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. And the latest research confirms that walking can reduce cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.

3. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any kind of physical activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week. And walking provided this protection even for the women with breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones.

4. It eases joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.

5. It boosts immune function. Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.

Image: gradyreese/Getty images