Acetaldehyde is a possibly carcinogenic substance that, by nature, is found in alcoholic beverages and many foods, such as bananas and yogurt. It can also be added to add fruit flavor to foods.
While the Center for Disease Control does not consider acetaldehyde to be a carcinogen, it is recommended that you limit your exposure to this naturally produced chemical that is typically found in alcoholic beverages. It is important because acetaldehyde, present in alcoholic beverages and formed endogenously from ethanol, was recently classified by the IARC as a group 1 carcinogenic agent for humans.
There is a possibility that alcoholic beverages cause cancer of the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach and other parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Fortunately, those who love alcoholic beverages can limit their exposure to acetaldehyde.
Regarding the scientific sources present in this article, all information has been gathered from scientific journals. Please use PubMed to review corresponding scientific articles. Use relevant keywords, including acetaldehyde, alcohol, cancer, beverage, and cysteine. The report on acetaldehyde produced by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer) can be found at the following address:
Steps
Step 1. Avoid alcoholic beverages which greatly increase acetaldehyde levels in the mouth
As soon as you drink an alcoholic beverage, the microbes that naturally live inside the oral cavity instantly convert alcohol into acetaldehyde, as do those that live inside the gastrointestinal tract. The liver also produces acetaldehyde when it metabolizes alcohol, although the body breaks down this substance further over time. However, the bacteria that live in the body are unable to further break down acetaldehyde. The latter, produced in the mouth by microbes, can lead to cancer of the mouth, throat and similar cancers. Acetaldehyde concentration equal to or greater than 100 micromolar can cause cancer. Please note that the amount of acetaldehyde produced by alcohol in the mouth does not necessarily correlate with the amount of acetaldehyde pre-existing in the drinks before they are drunk. However, the amount (concentration) of alcohol in drinks and in the body is an important factor that risks increasing acetaldehyde levels in the mouth and the rest of the body.
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Calvados, a French apple brandy that has an alcohol content of 40%, has been shown to produce the highest amount of acetaldehyde in the mouth after one sip (one sip equals 5ml or one teaspoon). From the moment of the sip and for at least five minutes after, the level of acetaldehyde increases, favoring the onset of cancer.
Even a 40% pure alcohol solution, similar to regular vodka and other types of spirits, produces cancer-causing levels of acetaldehyde after a sip, but generally remains lower than Calvados. Even wine with an alcohol content of 12.5% is able to increase the carcinogenic potential of acetaldehyde with sips of 5 ml, even if the levels of this substance are significantly lower (they vary according to the time elapsed from the sip, but can reach about half of those produced by drinks with an alcohol concentration of 40%).
The level of acetaldehyde produced by a beer composed of 5% alcohol is about half of that produced by wine, and remains below the carcinogenic threshold (although it can vary depending on the brand or type of beer). Light beer produces less acetaldehyde. Be aware that the size of the sip can change these results, so a good sip of beer can increase the carcinogenic levels of acetaldehyde. A 5ml sip of beer is no exaggeration. The quantity of the sip can alter the levels of acetaldehyde and there are several scientific studies that demonstrate the different levels of acetaldehyde under the same conditions.
Step 2. Avoid alcoholic beverages in which high levels of acetaldehyde exist
The alcohol level of a drink has no relation to the acetaldehyde it contains.
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Generally, vodka and gin contain the lowest concentration of acetaldehyde (0 to about 300 micromolar). The main reason is that they are distilled several times to obtain a very pure product. Vodka and gin are generally produced with a column distillation system, which produces almost pure alcohol. If stills are used, their use is combined with that of column stills. With gin, usually, only the final distillation takes place through the use of stills.
Another reason vodka and gin are relatively free of acetaldehyde is that they are usually made from grains (sometimes potatoes).
Fruit, unlike grains, is the main source of acetaldehyde, although yeast used in alcoholic beverages also produces acetaldehyde. This being the case, fruit-based spirits can contain up to about 26,000 micromolar of acetaldehyde. They are likely to have no acetaldehyde content at all, but it should be noted that on average they have about 20,000 micromolar of acetaldehyde. Port wine, sherry and other fortified wines are best avoided, as they consistently contain high levels of acetaldehyde, partly due to the aging process.
The acetaldehyde in sherry ranges from 1000-12000 micromolar, while the port from 500 to 18000. Unfortified wines and cognac can have from 0 to about 5000 micromolar of acetaldehyde. White wines can have relatively low levels. Whiskey and bourbon can have relatively high levels of acetaldehyde, as they are generally made using stills.
Beer can have up to about 1500 micromolar, but on average the concentration of this substance approaches 200. Lager and pale beers, which lack the fruity aromas of some ale beers, should have the lowest concentrations of acetaldehyde. Furthermore, mass-produced beer, packaged using the most sophisticated bottling equipment that prevents oxidation, should have lower concentrations.
Calvados has between 500 and 1500 micromolar of acetaldehyde.
Note that there is no way to know the amount of acetaldehyde in each brand of alcoholic beverage, so it's best to avoid those that are generally known to have quite high levels. Furthermore, beer and wine with high amounts of acetaldehyde may not increase levels of this substance just because they contain it (this is not a direct relationship)
Step 3. Dilute the alcoholic beverages
Use soft drinks that hardly contain acetaldehyde, such as soda, seltzer water, and tonic water, to dilute the alcohol and acetaldehyde content. This will help keep the amount of this substance low in your mouth and throat. Fruit juices may contain acetaldehyde.
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As an example, let's say that a 350ml glass of beer and a 45ml sip of vodka have the same (micromolar) concentration of acetaldehyde. Even though the sip of vodka and beer contain about the same amount of alcohol, the sip of vodka contains much less total amount of acetaldehyde.
Therefore, if you dilute the vodka with a soft drink to reach a total of 350ml, the vodka will have a much lower total amount of acetaldehyde than in beer, which should be roughly the same amount of acetaldehyde produced in your mouth when you drink beer.
Step 4. Maintain excellent oral hygiene
The fewer microbes found in the mouth, the better. Use your toothbrush, floss, and alcohol-free mouthwash. However, be aware that you will not be able to completely eliminate the microbes that live in the mouth.
Keep in mind that alcohol-containing mouthwashes can increase the incidence of oral cancers by up to five times (although some studies don't show this)
Step 5. Take the amino acid L-cysteine before drinking alcohol
L-cysteine (not acetylcysteine or NAC) immediately neutralizes acetaldehyde and is successfully used to lower the levels of acetaldehyde in the body, especially in the stomach, when alcohol is consumed.
Step 6. Drink water immediately after taking a sip or drinking alcoholic beverages
If you remove the ingested alcohol from the mouth and throat, much of the acetaldehyde and alcohol residues that can transform into this substance will also be removed. The less time the acetaldehyde remains in contact with the mouth and throat, the less time the carcinogenic potential alcohol remains in contact with the cells. Of course some acetaldehyde will be eliminated in the stomach and lower gastrointestinal tract, but in any case the alcohol consumed reaches these parts of the body, forming further acetaldehyde. L-cysteine is supposed to help prevent damage in the body.
Step 7. Drink alcoholic beverages as quickly as possible
Remember that every time you take a sip from an alcoholic drink, your acetaldehyde levels spike in your mouth. Drink it all in one gulp so that the alcohol stays in contact with your mouth and throat for as little time as possible. Do it safely and responsibly.
Step 8. Limit your consumption of alcoholic beverages
The risk of cancer caused by the acetaldehyde contained in alcoholic beverages increases directly. This means that virtually every drink, or drink, increases the risk of cancer, even one per day. Three drinks triple that, and if you drink to the point of intoxication, you'll have a fairly high level of alcohol and acetaldehyde in your body even when you're done drinking.
One drink is equivalent to 350 ml (with 5% alcohol content) of a normal beer, 120 or 150 ml of wine, 90 ml of fortified or dessert wine and about 45 ml of spirits. Please note that these rations are based on the standards produced by the United States government. In fact, they may vary from country to country
Step 9. Absolutely avoid drinking if you don't have the aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) gene
In the absence of this gene, people are unable to break down acetaldehyde into acetate (a non-carcinogenic compound) in the body as much as those with it. Therefore, they run a much greater risk of cancers caused by acetaldehyde. Asian populations have aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 deficiency.
Step 10. Avoid homemade alcoholic beverages
Although it is plausible that homemade beer and wine do not contain more acetaldehyde than many other industrially produced drinks, very high levels of this substance have been found in homemade alcohol. The same goes for spirits (such as grappas). Bottling and inadequate production methods (fermentation, etc.) can increase the amount of acetaldehyde.
Advice
In this article, one sip is equivalent to 5ml (one teaspoon). Larger or smaller sips can result in different concentrations of acetaldehyde. However, keep in mind that the alcohol concentration in the drink is an important factor
Warnings
- All these precautions may not be of much use. The Center for Disease Control has not recognized acetaldehyde as a carcinogen, and articles published by the American Medical Association have shown that there is only a third-degree relationship between alcoholism and cancer.
- Do more research on this topic. Drinking alcohol has been shown to decrease ovarian cancer risk (The Queensland Institute of Medical Research in Australia, 2004), promote stronger bones (Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, 2004) and reduce risk of stroke (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2001). Drinking moderately can lengthen life, but too much can shorten it, Italian researchers state. Their conclusion is based on data collected from 34 major studies involving more than 1 million people and 94,000 deaths.
- Always drink responsibly.
