Pass the Pinot: Exercise Can Help Undo the Damage Caused by Drinking
Good news for lovers of booze: Exercise can help undo the damage done by drinking.
Drinkers who exercise can reduce their risk of dying from alcohol-related cancers, according to new medical research. Exercise can also reduce the risks of other alcohol-related illnesses, such as fatal heart disease and stroke.
Academics in London, Canada, Norway, and Australia contributed to the study, one of the first of its kind, which examined the health of men and women over the age of 40 who had provided data for six editions of the Health Survey for England up to 2006 and the 1998 and 2003 editions of the Scottish Health Survey.
The results were compared to national health surveys in England and Scotland, dating back to 1994.
The study, published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, confirmed that moderate physical exercise counteracts the “biological disease pathways” of high alcohol intake.
The authors wrote, “Meeting the current physical activity public health recommendations offsets some of the cancer and all-cause mortality risk associated with alcohol drinking.”
To come to their conclusions, the researchers looked at the alcohol consumption levels and exercise habits of 36,370 Brits ages 40 and over.
The researchers explained, “Our results provide an additional argument for the role of physical activity as a means to promote the health of the population even in the presence of other less healthy behaviors.”
However, Sarah Toule of the World Cancer Research Fund urged drinkers to be cautious. “We would not recommend that anyone sees these findings as a Get Out of Jail Free card, as alcohol does increase the risk of many different health conditions, including cancer.
“Doing more physical activity can have great health benefits, and our own evidence shows that if everyone in the U.K. was regularly active, about 12,000 cancer cases could be prevented every year. However, by not drinking alcohol, 24,000 cancer cases could be avoided.”
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