Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Money/Health

Having more than one alcoholic drink daily increases your risk of developing breast cancer.
Fact. Women who have two to five drinks daily increase their breast cancer risk 50 percent compared to those who abstain from alcohol, according to the American Cancer Society. The theory is that the way alcohol is metabolized leads to higher estrogen levels in the bloodstream, which ups the odds of developing the disease. "Women should have less than a drink a day," said Dr. Victoria Seewaldt, director of the breast cancer prevention program at Duke University. One drink is a 10-ounce beer, a 4-ounce glass of wine or one shot of hard liquor.

Bogus weight-loss claims to look out for:
According to the Federal Trade Commission, a claim is too good to be true if it says ...

-Lose 2 pounds or more per week without dieting.

-Eat what you want and you'll lose weight.

-Weight loss will be permanent, even after using the product.

-Blocks the absorption of fat or calories.

-Safely lose more than 3 pounds per week for more than four weeks.

-The product causes substantial weight loss for all users.

-Lose weight by wearing (this) on your body or rubbing (that) into your skin.

Exercise does not affect one's likelihood of developing breast cancer.
Myth. "We think that physical activity reduces your risk by lowering levels of estrogen and other hormones, in large part by reducing body fat," said Dr. Anne McTiernan, director of the prevention center at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

You don't have to sweat it out for hours on end to reap the benefit: A landmark study involving more than 74,000 women found those who walked briskly for an hour and a half to two and a half hours weekly cut their risk of breast cancer by 18 percent.

Staying active can also help maintain a healthy weight, which lowers your risk of the disease. One study found that women who gained 21 to 30 pounds after age 18 had a 40 percent higher risk, compared with women who kept their weight within five pounds.

- Source: Federal Trade Commission, McClatchy-Tribune

Health Myths Exposed! is a bi-weekly feature highlighting common health and fitness misconceptions compiled by Money/Health editor Tara Bannow.

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