Kara Wiseman, PhD, MPH
Kara Wiseman, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences, Center for Behavioral Health and Technology, was featured in The New York Times, where she provided expert insight into the health risks of binge drinking.
Federal officials consider binge drinking to be consuming four or more drinks on a single occasion for women and five or more for men. Most people understand that frequent binge drinking is harmful. But what if you only binge drink occasionally? Or, what if you only drink wine instead of the hard stuff?
A common belief is that wine, especially red wine, carries fewer health risks than beer or spirits. But that belief is mistaken according to Dr. Wiseman. “It doesn’t matter if it’s wine or beer or liquor,” she said. Your body still breaks down the alcohol into acetaldehyde.
Acetaldehyde can damage DNA, and many tissues in the body—such as those in the mouth, throat, liver, colon, and breasts—are vulnerable to this effect. When the body repairs this DNA damage, cancer-causing mutations can sometimes develop.
Read full article at the New York Times (subscription may be required).
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