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As 2025 begins, many Americans are looking forward to more exercise, a new focus on mental health, healthier eating, and a “Dry January” (i.e., a month without alcohol consumption). By working on it, I started aiming for a healthier year. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy then released updated recommendations linking alcohol to increased cancer risk.
Specifically, this recommendation lowers the risk of mouth, throat, esophageal, voice organ, breast cancer (in women), liver, colon, and rectal cancer regardless of alcohol consumption. emphasizes that it will increase. Additionally, the report found that alcohol causes 100,000 cancers and 20,000 cancer-related deaths each year in the United States, making it the third leading cause of preventable cancer after tobacco and obesity. states.
I think many of us have long suspected that alcohol is not necessarily “good” for us. But I think what we didn’t know, or perhaps didn’t want to fully admit, was how negatively it could affect our health. In fact, 60% of Americans report not knowing the link between alcohol and cancer. We hope that this recommendation begins the process of educating the public about this important health-related association.
6 tips to reduce alcohol use and cancer risk after Surgeon General’s warning
Since the publication of this recommendation, Americans have raised numerous questions about what the government will do next, what the findings mean for them, and how they should consider the findings in their daily lives. I am doing it.
Most Americans were unaware of the link between alcohol and cancer. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
Here’s what you need to know and keep in mind.
How does alcohol cause cancer?
From a 30,000-foot perspective, alcohol damages DNA and increases cancer risk. This occurs through several different mechanisms. For example, our DNA can be damaged by acetaldehyde, alcohol, a toxic metabolite that is broken down in the body, or the oxidative stress that alcohol causes.
Alcohol also changes hormone levels in the body, such as estrogen, which may explain the link between alcohol and increased breast cancer risk. Alcohol not only directly damages our DNA, but also increases the absorption of carcinogenic chemicals and carcinogens into our bodies. So while you might think that drinking a glass of wine or beer will calm you down and help you relax, it actually does the opposite and causes inflammation.
What comes next?
This recommendation lays the foundation for action by our government, our physicians, and our fellow Americans.
Murthy suggests updating the Surgeon General’s warning labels on alcohol to clearly state the link between alcohol and cancer. A label change like this would require a vote in Congress, and I believe it should be done quickly and on a bipartisan basis. What can we all do together? Reduce cancer in our families, friends, and neighbors.
However, this is not a “silver bullet” strategy. One study evaluating cigarette warning labels showed that labels that were more comprehensive, larger, and graphic did a better job of communicating the health risks of smoking to the public, while another study found that labels influenced smoking behavior. It suggests that it has no real impact.
Therefore, when estimating how this will affect the future impact of updates to the Surgeon General’s warning labels on alcohol, the impact is likely to be nominal. Furthermore, it is important to note that this was despite the fact that cigarettes pose a significantly higher cancer risk than alcohol when consumed in similar amounts.
But updating the warning labels is the beginning of the education necessary to increase public awareness and physician “buy-in,” which Murthy emphasized is an important “action item.” We need to work together to increase knowledge about the relationship between alcohol and cancer risk, not only in the media, but also in more personal settings such as clinics and communities. Realizing the potential of educational programs to reduce alcohol consumption requires targeted strategies.
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek H. Murthy warned of the serious link between alcohol and cancer. File: Marcy speaks on stage at the Archewell Foundation Parent Summit on October 10, 2023 in New York City. (Brian Bedder/Getty Images, Project Healthy Minds)
Finally, we need to ensure that our policies always follow the latest science. It’s okay if you don’t know, but in that case you need to make it clear to the public. For example, the current definition of moderate drinking (1 drink or less per day for women, 2 drinks or less per day for men) [one drink is 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of liquor]) is relatively arbitrary and using it as a “scientific” guide can be misleading and confusing. As Murthy pointed out, we need to reevaluate the definition of these “cutoffs.”
What are the limits of what we know?
Current research overwhelmingly shows a link between alcohol use and cancer, but the details of what we don’t know are important. Evidence shows that the risk of cancer is directly proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed, with more alcohol associated with an increased risk of cancer. This is not surprising. Alcohol is a toxin, and the more toxins you put into your body, the worse it should be for your body.
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But is quantity the only thing that matters? Does the risk vary depending on the “quality” of the alcohol (e.g. natural or high quality wine vs. wine with more additives) or the type of alcohol? Is there a “safe” limit? What role does genetics play? Do other preventive measures, such as a healthy, clean diet and exercise, “offset” the cancer risk from drinking? If so, by how much?
It’s important to note that these questions only highlight some of what we don’t know and do not discredit the central fact that alcohol and cancer are directly linked. . But what this does show is that more research needs to be done, especially to reduce bias and confounding factors in some of the current data used so far. This ensures that the most complete evidence is available to guide education and policy decisions.
From a 30,000-foot perspective, alcohol damages DNA and increases cancer risk.
Well, what does all this mean to you?
Mr. Murthy should be commended for bringing this information to national attention. Information is empowering, and we’re confident that after reading this article, you’ll be able to make more educated decisions for yourself about how much and how often you drink.
From my perspective, I strongly believe in moderation. I continue to emphasize this as a physician and follow this approach in my own life. While many people may have stopped drinking alcohol completely after the publication of this advisory, I encourage everyone else to try to limit their drinking.
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Personally, I enjoy a sociable beer or wine here. But at the same time, I’m going to reduce my overall alcohol intake. It’s a personal decision, but as a cancer survivor (testicular cancer) myself, I still want to live my life.
At the end of the day, I encourage all of us to take steps every day to become healthier – to eat better, drink less, exercise more and improve our mental and spiritual health. We invite you to support your health and well-being.
Click here to read more about David Bernstein
The opinions, thoughts, and ideas expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not necessarily those of the author’s employer or organization.
