Booze DOES increase your risk of deadly skin cancer – but white wine is the most dangerous tipple
DRINKING just a glass of white wine each day raises the risk of deadliest form of skin cancer, a study reveals.
It found each daily tipple of sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio raised chances of the disease by 13 per cent.
But experts said other forms of alcohol—beer, red wine, and hard spirits—did not significantly affect melanoma risk.
Scientists believe compounds released when wine is broken down by the body are to blame.
But the effect is not seen in red wine, because beneficial antioxidants in the drink may counteract the harm.
Each year, around 15,500 Brits get melanoma - the most dangerous form of skin cancer – with 2,500 dying.
Scientists from Brown University followed more than 200,000 adults for an average of 18 years to assess the impact of drink.
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And found white wine was the biggest risk factor for skin cancer.
The study also shows boozers were much more likely to get the disease on parts of their body that see less sun – such as their waist and chest.
Lead researcher Eunyoung Cho said: “For motivated individuals with other strong risk factors for melanoma, counselling regarding alcohol use may be an appropriate risk-reduction strategy to reduce risks of melanoma as well as other cancers.
But she said light drinking is good for the heart.
She added: “For drinkers, risks and benefits of alcohol consumption have to be considered individually, including the risk related to skin cancer.”
The study is published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Government guidelines recommend no more than 14 units a week for men and women – roughly six pints of beer, or six standard 175ml glasses of wine.
Overall, around one in 28 cases of cancer are now blamed on boozing.
When alcohol breaks down in the body it can damage DNA, increasing the likelihood of tumours.
Previous studies have also linked booze to melanoma.
They found too much alcohol can impair judgement and increase the risk of sunburn.
And they also found that when booze breaks down in the body, it makes the skin more sensitive to light.
This can lead to additional damage that can cause melanoma.
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