| A recent study by Kaiser Permanente | | | | women were diagnosed with breast cancer. |
| Researchers has found that the effects of | | | | Researchers analyzed three aspects of the |
| alcohol on breast cancer are the same, | | | | records; they compared alcohol intake among |
| regardless of whether a woman drinks wine, | | | | women who favored specific beverages, the |
| beer, or liquor. The ethyl alcohol found in | | | | frequency of drinking each beverage type, and |
| those drinks and the quantity consumed are | | | | the role of total alcoholic intake compared |
| the factors that weigh heavily on breast | | | | with women who drank less than one drink a |
| cancer risk. Researchers believe the | | | | day. |
| increased risk from three or more drinks a | | | | |
| day is similar to the increased breast cancer | | | | The results found no difference among the |
| risk from smoking a pack of cigarettes a day | | | | varying types of alcoholic beverages, even |
| or more. They claim that "Population studies | | | | when wine was divided into red and white. |
| have consistently linked drinking alcohol to | | | | Researchers found the risk of breast cancer |
| an increased risk of female breast cancer, | | | | rose by 30 percent in women who drank more |
| but until now there has been little data, | | | | than three drinks a day. They claim that "We |
| most of it conflicting, about an independant | | | | think that the heart protection benefit from |
| role played by the choice of beverage type." | | | | alcohol is real, and is probably derived |
| | | | largely from alcohol-induced higher HDL or |
| The team of Kaiser Permanente researchers | | | | "good" cholesterol, reduced blood clotting |
| studied the drinking habits of over 70,000 | | | | and reduced diabetes." However, they warn |
| women of varying ethnicities who had supplied | | | | "Our findings provide more evidence for why |
| information during health exams between 1978 | | | | heavy drinkers should quit or cut down. |
| and 1985. By the year 2004, 2,800 of these | | | | |