Drinking probably hurts the prostate

Being a male, I worry about prostate cancer. Being 23 and about halfway to my first exam, I also worry about being checked for prostate cancer. Childish, I know, but I at least accept it as a fact of life (or a growing pain).

I try to keep up with any news on how to prevent the onset of prostate cancer -- foods or activities that may make me more susceptible, etc. And when I stumble across a study condemning practices that I've been guilty of, I get a little worried.

A recent study by researchers from UC-San Francisco concludes that heavy drinking (at least four drinks per day) increases men's risk of prostate cancer. Damn it, college.

I've been guilty of drinking four-plus drinks a day every UF game day that I can remember. And I usually go out with a few buddies at least one more time a week. I don't know how many times I've managed to hit that level five times in one week, which the study says makes men most cancer-prone, but I hope it has been rare.

My health is important to me, but so is my fun. Unfortunately, earlier in my college career, I tended to have more fun at bars around Gainesville. Given the fact -- well, recent scientific claim, this fact may, too, get Pluto'd -- that continuing to hit the bars so frequently may lead to an earlier rear entry from my physician, I think I'll skip midtown and pick up basket weaving.