Drinking alcohol and being in the sun is a bad mix. A study claims that the risk of skin cancer is higher after consuming an alcoholic drink.
Alcohol and sun do not mix well, according to a study published on January 29 in the British Journal of Dermatology. The results of this published research review reveal that drinking too much alcohol increases the risk of skin cancer. Depending on the results, it can be multiplied by five during daily consumption.
The higher the dose of alcohol ingested, the higher the risk: it is 55% stronger in a person consuming the equivalent of 5 halves of beer (50 g of ethanol) daily. “We know that in the presence of UV rays, drinking alcohol can alter … the body’s ability to produce a normal immune response. This can lead to much higher cell damage, which could lead to the formation of skin cancer, ”said Dr. Eva Negri, author of one of the 16 studies reviewed.
When we ingest alcohol, we absorb some of the ethanol. This substance is transformed into another by the body, acetaldehyde. It is not only known to promote cancer, but it also makes the skin more sensitive to UV rays. It is therefore not a direct factor in melanoma, as the authors point out. Alcoholic people are also those who often expose themselves to the sun without protecting themselves with clothing or with sunscreen.
Knowing that the body is more vulnerable to UV attacks with alcohol in the blood, we must be particularly careful. When the barbecue season comes, beer lovers should think about protecting themselves from the sun. In all cases, it is recommended to drink in moderation, and to protect your skin from UV rays, whether you have been drinking or not.
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