Factors that cause skin cancer

Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer, originating in the skin's melanocytes (the cells responsible for our skin's color). What very few people know is that several seemingly harmless factors can cause the development of this type of cancer. Here are some of them:

White wine

Sorry for those of you who prefer this drink, but according to a study published in the journal "Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention", consuming just one glass of white wine every day increases the risk of developing the deadliest form of skin cancer by 13%.

This may happen, according to experts, due to the enzyme "acetaldehyde" which damages DNA. This enzyme is found in all alcoholic beverages, but is in higher quantities in white wine.

The study's lead author, Eunyoung Cho, recommends that individuals who have other risk factors for melanoma limit their consumption of white wine to reduce their risk of developing melanoma and other types of cancer.

Another simple solution would be to replace white wine with red wine, which, according to scientists, is less harmful thanks to its high levels of antioxidants.

HPV

A study published in the British Medical Journal has found a link between HPV infection and a spread of squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer different from melanoma.

Do you have relatives with red hair?

People with red hair may harbor a gene that increases their risk of developing sun-related skin cancer. In terms of cancer risk, the effect of this gene is comparable to two decades of sun exposure. Another study, published in Nature Communications, shows that just having the gene in one family member — meaning you don't have red hair, but someone in your family does — increases your risk of sun-related genetic defects by 42%, compared to people who don't have the gene.

Citrus juices

Drinking just one cup of grapefruit or orange juice more than 1.6 times a day has been found to increase the risk by 36%. Researchers say this is because these fruits are rich in substances like psoralen and furocoumarin, which are said to make the skin more sensitive.