I am reading “The Naked Mind” right now and it is helping to convince me that my choice to avoid drinking is a good one. I am close to 10 months now with-out drinking booze and as my goal of being drink free for one year is coming to an end, I am beginning to delve deeper into the ugly truth about alcohol. I write these articles for my own benefit as much as yours; I hope that my words can inspire you to think outside the box, and to question our habitual routines; some more harmful than others.

Now, if you are a regular reader of my blog you may know that I have had a mass exodus in my family tree; it has pretty much been wiped out by the biggest baddest meanest destructive tornados of life, Cancer. As I face my own mortality, I begin to question my own genetics and wonder if my life will be long or cut short, like the majority of my loved ones.

When reading “The Naked Mind”, I came across an interesting point; the author made a connection between Alcohol and Cancer. Let me summarise, there is a big connection, and it is very high. Alcohol is a top ranking carcinogen, and high consumption of alcohol correlates with a high incidence of cancer. This alarming fact jumped right off the page at me; all the people I have lost to cancer have been big drinkers. All my family have enjoyed drinking over the years, for as long as I know. Daily consumption was the norm, and every social occasion, or night time activity involved a glass of something, beer or wine or cider. They were not spirit drinkers per se, but daily drinkers, yes.

Could there be a link? Could drinking be one of the main causes of Cancer? Why is this not public knowledge? I do not feel that drinking is something we associate with to cause Cancer, but when you think about it, drinking alcohol is one thing that has increased in our society over the years. Perhaps our drinking culture is also the cause of our high rates of cancer.

“Ethanol is a known carcinogen; and alcoholic beverages can contain at least fifteen other carcinogenic compounds including arsenic, formaldehyde, and lead.”

“Any level of alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing an alcohol related cancer. Although this is discouraging, the good news is any reduction in alcohol also lowers your risk of cancer”

The Naked Mind has proven so far to be an interesting read. It is upfront, honest, factual and does not beat around the bush in reminding readers alcohol really is a poison and does our bodies and minds no good.

Now I don’t want to be the fun police, but it is interesting to highlight this important and often overlooked fact; that alcohol consumption is in direct proportion to your risk of getting cancer. Adds another element to “drink at your own risk” right?

Well on that bright note I will love you and leave you for another post. I hope that drinking can bring you pleasure and joy and not the dreaded C.

Love Anita xx