According to the survey, in 2023, a quarter of the country's people will drink baijiu, with men accounting for the vast majority, and an average of 30 billion kilograms of baijiu will be drunk every year.
Nowadays, many people think that drinking some liquor during meals is good for their health, first of all, let me tell you a conclusion: drinking alcohol is not good for health at all, let's take a look at the difference between people who drink liquor for a long time and those who do not drink liquor.
01
What is the relationship between alcohol and cancer?
As we all know, alcohol is one of the long-standing beverages in human society, however, with the deepening of scientific research, the hidden health risks behind it have gradually surfaced.
Cancer, a formidable disease, has complex causes, but alcohol is involved in its own unique way. When alcohol is ingested into the body, it silently erodes every inch of the body's health.
During the metabolism of alcohol in the body, a harmful substance called acetaldehyde is produced, which is an accomplice to cancer. Acetaldehyde can damage DNA and disrupt the normal function of cells, thereby inducing the occurrence of cancer.
What's even more shocking is that the cancer-boosting effects of alcohol don't stop there. It also weakens the immune system, making the body less able to monitor and eliminate cancer cells. This means that once cancer cells grow in the body, alcohol creates a more relaxed environment for them to grow, which encourages abuse.
02
Can drinking liquor for a long time prolong life and prevent tumors?
In recent years, the public's attention to cancer prevention and anti-cancer has continued to rise, and various anti-cancer diets have sprung up, but there are very few that really have scientific basis and practical value.
Baijiu's anti-cancer is one of these rumors, however, its actual effect is far from meeting people's expectations. The Lancet published a 10-year follow-up study of 510,000 adults in China.
The study, which focused on liquor drinkers, turned out to be striking: even moderate consumption of baijiu significantly increased the risk of stroke and increased the risk of cancer.
In addition, the American Cancer Society has also pointed out that alcohol intake is closely related to the risk of a variety of cancers, including oral cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, etc.
The occurrence of these cancers is closely related to ethanol, a metabolite produced by alcohol after it enters the body. The World Health Organization has classified ethanol as a Group 1 carcinogen, that is, substances with definite carcinogenicity.
Therefore, we must be clear: drinking baijiu does not play a role in preventing cancer, but may increase the risk of cancer.
03
Why do some people live to be more than 90 years old when they drink alcohol?
There are many factors that affect human health and longevity, and alcohol is not just one thing. Genetics, dietary habits, work and rest routines, mentality adjustments, quality of living environment, and medical care all play a crucial role.
Taking climatic conditions as an example, if a person lives in a humid environment for a long time, bacteria can easily breed, which in turn affects the health of the body. On the contrary, if you are in a place with beautiful scenery and abundant negative oxygen ions, your mood will naturally be happy, and your physical condition will also improve.
In addition, the level of medical care is directly related to the health status of local residents. In some backward areas of Africa, parasitic infections are more common, and due to limited medical conditions, these parasites are often difficult to eradicate and cause long-term health problems to local residents. However, it is worth noting that residents of these areas generally do not drink alcohol, but they still have a shorter lifespan.
Therefore, we can conclude that drinking alcohol does not necessarily lead to longevity, and not drinking alcohol helps to reduce the damage to the body.
Of course, there are many cases in life where people can live a long life by drinking alcohol, but this may be a 1 in 10 million probability, or because these people are very healthy in other aspects of their lives besides drinking.
Instead of blindly imitating the lifestyle of others, we should pay attention to our physical condition and follow the advice of doctors to maintain our health.
04
Long-term drinking of liquor not only causes cancer, but also has these major harms
The main ingredient of liquor is ethanol, and long-term large intake will cause a huge burden on the liver, leading to the occurrence of fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and other diseases. These diseases not only affect the normal function of the liver, but may also further evolve into malignant diseases such as liver cancer.
In addition, liquor can cause damage to the cardiovascular system. Excessive alcohol consumption can increase the heart rate and blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke in the long term. At the same time, liquor will also affect blood lipid metabolism, resulting in an increase in blood lipids, which further aggravates the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases.
In addition to damage to internal organs, liquor can also have adverse effects on the skin. Long-term alcohol consumption can make the skin become dry, rough, tarnished, and even lead to skin problems such as dermatitis and acne.
At the same time, liquor may also affect a person's cognitive ability and emotional state. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to poor concentration, memory loss, and may even trigger emotional problems such as depression and anxiety.