PADUA – Is alcohol bad for you? It really seems so and «even a moderate consumption damages the brain and increases the risk of cancer. To say it is Antonella Viola, researcher and professor at the University of Paduawhich therefore shares the green light for the measure with which Ireland will make it compulsory for producers of alcoholic beverages the inclusion on bottles and cans of a label warning of the risks to human health of alcohol consumption, in particular the link between such consumption and cancer.
A link that according to the researcher is now established: «Several studies have confirmed that even moderate alcohol consumption it can promote the development of some types of cancer, including that of the colon and that of the breast and breast”. These are the words used by the professor and immunologist on the microphones of the transmission “The new world” on RaiRadio1, of which she is co-host.
“Even moderate alcohol consumption, the famous glass of wine with a meal or an aperitif after work can pose a health risk: ethanol is a carcinogen” 📻 Every Wednesday at #TheNewWorld con @Giovagnoli75 is a guest @antonellaviol17👇 https://t.co/937j631xJA
— Rai Radio1 (@Radio1Rai) January 18, 2023
«The alcoholany type of alcohol, even the one contained in beer, wine, aperitif, it is a carcinogen» admonished the researcher. And scientific studies have confirmed that even a drink a day increases from 6% in women the risk of breast cancer and already with the second glass this risk increases by 27% ». In short, the classic glass of wine at the table is not good for health at all, on the contrary it can cause serious problems.
Viola recalled that in Italy there are every year 10 thousand cases of cancer caused by alcohol and that «already in 1988 the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Health Organization included ethanol in the list of first level carcinogens, i.e. in the list of those substances such as asbestos or benzene, for which is certain the correlation of the substance and the induction of tumors in humans”.
«Those who drink alcohol have a smaller brain volume. The tumors directly associated with moderate alcohol consumption – Viola said – are those that affect the breast and the colon and rectum, but not only, but also the mouth, esophagus, larynx and liver. To this I must also add that a recent work published in the journal ‘Nature communications’, which is a good journal, demonstrated in a very solid way that people who drink one or two glasses of alcoholic beverages a day, those famous two glasses of wine with a meal or as an aperitif after work, well these people have a smaller brain volume than those who don’t drink and have precisely visible structural alterations. So even moderate consumption damages the brain, not just abuse.
«The safe dose of alcohol is zero»
What is the right amount of wine? In reality, the right dose does not exist. Or rather: it’s zero. “Visible liver damage, such as the accumulation of fat or hepatitis, i.e. inflammation of the liver, or even worse liver cirrhosis, are certainly associated with non-occasional alcohol consumption”.
However, even with moderate consumption, the teacher warns, the risk of having health problems exists and is not low at all. Those who drink the classic glass of wine at the table convinced that it’s good for you are warned. “Unfortunately, the safe dose is zero. The conscious citizen must know what he risks when he consumes alcohol and therefore make his own choices ».
Replicas from Fi and Lega
“Dr. Viola is an authoritative doctor and science communicator, but I think it is wrong to convey the message that drinking wine in a moderate and conscious way is bad for you” declares the Veneto regional councilor of Forza Italia Alberto Bozza, who has always been attentive to the issues of the wine sector “I will not go into the technical and scientific merits of what Dr. Viola specifically claims, because it is clear that alcohol in itself is an unhealthy substance, however it is necessary to contextualize, broaden the range of reasoning and discern. For years, a strong awareness of consumers has been created in terms of food culture, think of organic products and the excellence of the Mediterranean diet. The wine then increased the general level of quality and excellence in the treatment of the vines, in the oenological procedures, and today it is a product that most of the time is drunk accompanied by food and with care and meditation, certainly not to get stunned”. Therefore, concludes Bozza, “following Professor Viola’s reasoning, I do not think the comparison with cigarettes is correct, in terms of health warnings (smoking is a vice) nor with Ireland, a country that has serious problems in managing alcohol in the population due to the immoderate consumption of spirits”.
«Maximum respect and gratitude for Dr. Viola and for her work as a researcher. However, I ask you for prudence and the same respect as you when you take on the role of commentator. It is evident to all that the abuse of alcohol is harmful to health, as are the abuse of fried food, butter or many other foods» declares Paola Ghidoni, Lega MEP «You cannot erase millennia of history and winemaking tradition and jeopardize an entire sector, already tried by the energy crisis and drought. Irish labeling on wine bottles, according to an estimate by Coldiretti, could cause a loss of turnover in Italian exports of around 1 billion. I dare not imagine what would happen if it were applied throughout Europe. Yes to correct information, no to criminalization or terrorism: Italy is a country that bases its history and its economy on the primary sector, of which viticulture represents a fundamental part. We respect and defend our products and our producers – concludes Ghidoni – without unnecessarily alarming the citizens. There is no health without work and without an identity”.
Social con fake
“Unlawful use of my name and face. They tell me of links where I would recommend products to eliminate parasites: obviously they are not true. Please report them to Facebook if you come across these messages. We will try to figure out who they are to report them. In the meantime, let’s stop them!” the immunologist Antonella Viola writes right on her Facebook profile.