New research suggests that you increase your risk of developing pancreatic cancer if you consume large amounts of alcohol daily.
The risk goes up significantly when you reach a level that is equivalent to 30 grams or more of ethanol each day.
This is the amount of alcohol you get in 3 glasses of wine, about 4 beers, or just slightly more than 2 typical servings of whiskey or liqueur.
If you remain under this level of alcohol consumption, however, your risk of pancreatic cancer does not seem to increase.
Researchers looked at almost 121,000 individuals who were participating in a study to assess the risks of developing various types of cancer. Of the individuals studied, 350 developed pancreatic cancer. Of those, 79 percent consumed alcohol daily.
There was no specific tie to a particular type of alcoholic beverage, e.g. whiskey did not seem to be more harmful than wine, but rather to the amount of alcohol consumed.
Heavy drinkers were found to be almost twice as likely to develop pancreatic cancer as those who drank moderate amounts or less. Other factors, such as smoking, body mass index, or diet did not seem to make a difference.
