Boob Scotch

Three or more drinks a day, whether it be beer, wine or spirits, boost a woman's risk of breast cancer as much as smoking a pack of cigarettes, U.S. researchers said.

In what the researchers consider one of the largest studies to investigate links between breast cancer and alcohol, they found that alcohol itself and the amount a person consumed were key rather than the type of drink. So ladies, don't get that amaretto sour when you can just have a double shot of rye.

"Studies have consistently linked drinking alcohol to an increased risk of female breast cancer, but until now there has been little data, most of it conflicting, about an independent role played by the choice of beverage type," one of the researchers said. Other studies further complicate the drinking / health debate, and have shown that light to moderate alcohol use can protect against heart attacks. The heart protection likely comes from alcohol-induced "good" cholesterol, reduced blood clotting and decreased diabetes risk, but for breast cancer, the ethyl alcohol found in all booze likely ups the risk. Good luck trying to strike the perfect balance.

The study looked at the drinking habits of more than 70,000 women from a variety of ethnic backgrounds who supplied information during health examinations between 1978 and 1985. By 2004, nearly 3,000 of the women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Among women who drank, the team examined a preference for a type of alcohol and how much of each drink people consumed. They also compared the total amount consumed and compared it to women who drank less than one drink a day. Women who drank between one and two alcoholic drinks per day increased their risk of breast cancer by 10 percent compared with people who consumed less than one drink each day, the study found. The risk of breast cancer jumped by 30 percent in women who drank more than three drinks a day.

Sadly, the scientific community only went halfway on this, because there's a whole lot of info on STD, pregnancy, and sociological behavior that could have been gleaned. To have 70,000 hard drinkers from the late 70's and early 80's is like a debauchery goldmine.

Of course, thinking about breasts and alcohol made me think about Bob Log III and his awesome song "Boob Scotch".

The true video for the tune is insane.