Raúl Andrade, specialist in Hepatology.
“As a hepatologist, I consider it negative that the cancer risk what does he have excessive and continuous alcohol consumption“. These are the words of the hepatologist Raul Andrade which he manifests in declarations to Medical Writing regarding the decision of European Parliament to ‘save’ wine in his plan to fight cancer. A resolution that, according to Andrade, is a “political decision so as not to harm alcohol sales in many countries, especially Spain or France, which are the ones with a large wine industry”.
The Popular Group managed to push through four amendments aimed at reducing the perspectives of the Special Commission for the Fight once morest Cancer (SCHOLARSHIP) that were raised around alcohol and, one of them, was that of not making reference to the link between alcohol and disease in the labeling of wine bottles. In this regard, Andrade considers that “must be specified on the packagingas long as it is clarified that it is a high and continuous consumption, that is to say, the consumption of alcohol must be combined with the cancer riskof spirits.
A proposal that, according to Andrade, has to begin with “a request to the policy makers to reconsider it, since it would be fair, honest and reasonable to warn society that this type of consumption is very harmful and a potential cause of cancer and other diseases”. In this sense, Andrade explains that “alcohol is a very important factor that directly affects the larynx or the esophagus and more so when associated with tobacco. In addition, these drinks also indirectly affect the pancreas as it can cause pancreatic insufficiency, causing pancreatitis and this is a disease that causes a risk of pancreatic cancer“.
To all these pathologies, Andrade adds “the risk of Liver cancer indirectly since alcohol can cause cirrhosis”. But the hepatologist emphasizes that “all these diseases are caused when alcohol is consumed in regular, continuous and high amounts”. A situation that leads specialists to wonder where the safe threshold is of consumption, something difficult to specify since, to date, “it is unknown why each individual metabolizes alcohol in a different way and its toxicity changes from one subject to another, depending on genetic and environmental factors, for example”.
The Economy, a factor that prevails over the health of citizens
For Andrade, the final decision made in the European Parliament should not take precedence over people’s health. “As a doctor and scientist, I believe that you have to be respectful of the scientific knowledge that exists and you have to transmit it to society,” an aspect that, according to Andrade, “should not be set aside for the simple fact that it economically harms a certain sector, it seems to me very dishonest”.
The hepatologist considers that “the population has to know what is beneficial for their health and what is not and, within the margins of the law, that each one does what they think”. In addition, he assures that “a reasonable balance must be found in terms of the warning that the high and continuous consumption of alcohol constitutes a risk of cancer“. A measure that, to date, “has not been debated nor has any type of notice been received to take a common position as a scientific society.”
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“It cannot be argued that alcohol improves health because more alcoholics would be created unintentionally” |
Likewise, Andrade points out that “this whole question regarding the alcohol consumption it is Science, that is to say, it is a reality”. Alcohol “is an addictive substance and, although it has been discovered that very low consumption of alcohol can be beneficial for some specific situation, there is also a risk if a person induces excessive consumption , which can generate addicts”.
A situation that “has never been raised to any patient that alcohol consumption is beneficial and can come in handy to improve the body’s antioxidant function, for example, and thus improve their health.” An issue that “cannot be defended because more alcoholics would be created unintentionally.” Focus on “clear evidence that alcohol is carcinogenicor at high and continuous doses,” recalls Andrade.
A message that “we must modulate regarding alcohol since it is totally different from tobacco“. Regarding the latter, Andrade assures that “it is easier to approve messages in the labels because any type of tobacco useeven the smallest, is already linked to cancer risk. That is, it is not necessary to consume an amount of cigarettes a day to cause the disease, but any consumption, no matter how low, increases the risk of cancer,” concludes Andrade.
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