Healthy Living

High alcohol intake—particularly beer intake—has been shown in a recent study to be associated with an increased risk of rectal cancer among men. Reason: Unknown. Possi­ble explanations: Alcohol may stimulate an increase in bile acids, which now seem to be involved in both colon and rectal cancers …beer contains a high level of nitrosamine, a known carcinogen… ethanol has been linked to rapid cell growth in the rectum. At highest risk: Men who drink two or three beers per day—or men who drink a total of four alco­holic drinks per day. This group was shown to have an 85% increased risk of rectal cancer. (In women, the association between alcohol and rectal cancer could not be confirmed because those women studied did not drink as heavily as the men.) Note: Approximately four percent of all new cancers in the United States are rectal cancers.