Could Moderate Drinking Reduce The Risk For Prostate Cancer?

Though scientists have gone back and forth on the relationship between prostate cancer and alcohol consumption, two new reports suggest that moderate drinkers have a lower risk for prostate cancer than those who drink heavily or avoid alcohol entirely, Wine Spectator detailed.

A 30-year study of thousands of pairs of Finnish twins found that heavy drinkers (more than 14 drinks per week) had a higher risk of prostate cancer than light drinkers, and those who did not consume alcohol at all also had a higher risk than light drinkers.

Though the findings are interesting, one critic pointed out two important details that were left out: type of beverage consumed and food intake of the participants.

"In our experience... the effect of alcohol intake (even moderately) on cancer varies depending on the dietary pattern of the consumers (healthy diets, i.e. Mediterranean diet, vs. unhealthy diets, i.e. Western dietary pattern)," said Ramon Estruch, associate professor of medicine at the University of Barcelona in Spain.