Ethanol (alcohol) causes cancer through biological mechanisms as the compound breaks down in the body, which means that any beverage containing alcohol, regardless of its price and quality, poses a risk of developing cancer.
Risks start from the first drop
To identify a “safe” level of alcohol consumption, valid scientific evidence would need to demonstrate that at and below a certain level, there is no risk of illness or injury associated with alcohol consumption. The new WHO statement clarifies: currently available evidence cannot indicate the existence of a threshold at which the carcinogenic effects of alcohol “switch on” and start to manifest in the human body.
So no, you’re wrong, it specifically says your example is not “safe”. They said “beverage”, but consuming alcohol laden fruit would fall in the same category. The same would go for many “non-alcoholic” beers which are <0.5% alcohol, and many other things like kombucha, baked goods, chocolate, etc. You can debate whether they’re correct or not, but they were very clear that tiny amounts are not safe.
Now, it’s all about risk. And the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of developing cancer. The question is at what point the benefits outweigh the risk. Benefits could range from vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy compounds, to reduced social anxiety and other psychological factors.
From the WHO article:
So no, you’re wrong, it specifically says your example is not “safe”. They said “beverage”, but consuming alcohol laden fruit would fall in the same category. The same would go for many “non-alcoholic” beers which are <0.5% alcohol, and many other things like kombucha, baked goods, chocolate, etc. You can debate whether they’re correct or not, but they were very clear that tiny amounts are not safe.
Now, it’s all about risk. And the more alcohol consumed, the higher the risk of developing cancer. The question is at what point the benefits outweigh the risk. Benefits could range from vitamins, minerals, fiber and healthy compounds, to reduced social anxiety and other psychological factors.