per day (except, perhaps, for red wine—see box below). They estimated that, every year around the world, nearly five thousand breast cancer deaths may be attributable to light drinking.20 The carcinogen isn’t alcohol itself. The culprit is actually the toxic breakdown product of alcohol called acetaldehyde, which can form in your mouth almost immediately after you take a sip. Experiments show that even holding a single teaspoon of hard liquor in your mouth for five seconds before
