Alcohol intake can lead to cancer – Expert

Dr Charles Anoti, an Abuja based medical practitioner, has warned that excessive intake of alcohol could lead to cancer related diseases and several health disorders. Anoti made this known when he spoke with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja. He warned that alcohol was not only harmful to an individual, but could create bad relationships among people and the society in general. Anoti said that alcohol consumption could lead to several health hazards such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. “Prolonged use of alcohol can cause inflammation of the pancreas and stomach which increases the risk of cancer. “Heavy drinking can increase the risk of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease as well as colon cancer. “Alcohol can damage parts of the brain, affect behaviour and the ability to learn and remember. “It also weakens heart muscles, which can affect the lungs, liver and could also cause heart failure,’’ Anoti warned. He said that people who drink a lot of alcohol were prone to lung infections, and were more likely to suffer from collapsed lungs and pneumonia. Besides, Anoti said that excessive intake of alcohol could lead to high deposit of fat in some organs of the body thereby resulting to alcoholic hepatitis. “It can damage the development of the unborn baby in pregnant woman and interferes with the ability of the body to absorb calcium and as a result the bones become weak and thin (osteoporosis). “Alcohol dehydrates your body and your skin and also widens blood vessels, causing the skin to look red or blotchy,’’ he said. The physician further warned that the consumption of alcohol could also lead to infertility in couples.