New Study Warns Alcohol Consumption Could Up Breast Cancer Risk

The latest research concerning wine consumption isn't looking good for the ladies. A report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute has linked wine consumption for women in their teens and late 20s, especially before their first pregnancy, with a higher risk of breast cancer. 

The study states that this risk is upped between a woman's first menstrual period and her first pregnancy. The scary stats from the reserachers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis? "The risk [of breast cancer] increased by 11 percent for every 10 grams a day of intake, about six drinks per week," compared to the risk of non-drinkers, said study author Dr. Ying Liu to Health Day. The researchers followed 91,000 women, with no history of cancer, from 1989 to 2009. The study also found that the more young women drank, the higher the risk for non-cancerous breast disease, which also contributes to breast cancer risk.

The reason for an upped risk of breast cancer is simply the timing, the researchers say. Breast tissue is "easily susceptible" to cancer-causing substances while it grows between adolescence and adulthood. The researchers say that the current trends of younger drinking ages and binge-drinking on college campuses, plus the "lengthening time" between a women's first period and pregnancy isn't helping either. Still, the researchers back up that women need to cut back on drinking at such a formative young age. "Reducing drinking to less than one drink per day, especially during this time period, is a key strategy to reducing lifetime risk of breast cancer," said study author Graham Colditz to Health Day.