Many doctors recommend a small amount of a hearty red wine every day for health purposes. A small glass of wine every day can help lower bad cholesterol, improve blood circulation and lower the risk of heart disease, especially in older patients. My mother-in-law was told to drink a small glass of port wine every night before going to bed. She was in her 60s at the time. She lived to be 89, missing her 90^th birthday by a month and half. Doctors have told me that even though I do not have high cholesterol, I still need to lower my bad cholesterol level and having a small amount of red wine every night would help.

A few years ago, I recall seeing a report that the areas of the world that had the lowest heart disease were Italy and France. Researchers attributed it to three things. They lived an active lifestyle, consumed wine and olive oil on a daily basis. There was one region in Italy that had a very low incident rate of heart disease and it was found that most of the people in that region consumed between ½ to ¾ cup of olive oil daily and they generally had up to three to four glasses of wine a day.

While wine may be high in antioxidants that have a myriad of health benefits, it also contains alcohol and much of the wine in Europe contains more alcohol than the average wine sold here in the United States. But new research has shown that just a small amount of alcohol on a daily basis can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

As a woman’s age increases, so does her risk of developing breast cancer. Part of that risk may be genetic and while other risks include diet and activity. Most nutritionists will tell women as they reach the age of 40 and older to cut back on the amount of red meat (beef, pork, lamb), processed meat (bacon, ham, sausages, lunch meats) and fatty foods. At the same time, women are urged to eat more vegetables and fruit. Coupled with regular exercise or activity, this will help reduce the chances of developing breast cancer as they get older.

While a small glass of wine may have a number of health benefits, new research indicates that it may also increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

Sarah Toule, Head of Health Information for the World Cancer Research Fund writes:

“We know that drinking alcohol increases the risk of several cancers, but surely just one drink a day won’t hurt, right? Actually it could – evidence from our new report shows that even moderate drinkers are putting themselves at an increased risk of breast cancer.”

“There are many ways in which alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. For example, when we drink alcohol, it is converted into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde which can cause cells to become cancerous by directly damaging DNA.”

“Unfortunately, bacteria found in the mouth are particularly good at converting alcohol into acetaldehyde, meaning it can build up even if you’ve only been drinking small amounts.”

The study she refers to states:

“The report reviewed evidence from 119 studies from around the world. The studies examined more than 12 million women and over 260,000 cases of breast cancer.” …

“Key findings: postmenopausal breast cancer”

“There is strong evidence that:

• consuming alcoholic drinks increases risk
• being physically active (including vigorous physical activity) decreases risk
• being overweight or obese between the ages of about 18 and 30 years decreases risk
• being overweight or obese throughout adulthood increases risk
• greater weight gain in adulthood increases risk
• developmental factors leading to greater linear growth (marked by adult attained height) increase risk
• breastfeeding decreases risk (breast cancer type unspecified) in the mother”

How much alcohol is too much? Would you believe just a half of a glass of wine or a small beer daily was enough to increase the risk of developing breast cancer?

They found that women who are regular social drinkers generally have a greater risk of developing breast cancer.

The next time you head out for a party or for some social drinking, take a look at yourself in the mirror first and ask if your breasts and life are worth the risk.