Science lends more proof to Homer Simpson’s assertion that beer is both the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems. A Spanish study found that heavy beer drinking — two or three beers a day for several years — can increase the risk of gastric cancer, especially if the drinkers possess a specific gene variant that’s present in 20 percent of the population.

A My Health News Daily story on MSNBC says the study, which was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, found that beer drinkers with the gene variant increased their risk of cancer by 700 percent over that of non-drinkers.

Wine and liquor drinking did not increase the risk, the study found.

The story noted that the findings don’t necessarily mean beer drinking causes cancer — only that beer drinking and cancer risk are correlated. Some other factor could be responsible.

Big beer drinkers at big risk for stomach cancer [My Health News Daily via MSNBC]

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