Recent updates to U.S. public health guidelines have confirmed an important fact: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy pointed out that alcohol is a proven cause of preventable cancers, contributing to approximately 100,000 cancer diagnoses and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the U.S. He emphasized that these figures surpass the yearly number of drunk-driving fatalities, highlighting that many Americans remain unaware of the associated risks.
According to CNBC, medical experts are increasingly comparing alcohol’s cancer risk to smoking.
Current U.S. dietary guidelines still recommend that men limit alcohol to two drinks per day and women to one while advising against binge drinking. However, following the updated public health guidelines, these recommendations are expected to change.
Research has confirmed clear links between alcohol consumption and seven types of cancer: breast, colorectal, esophageal, liver, oral, throat, and laryngeal cancers.
Faiz Bhora, a surgeon at Hackensack Meridian Health and professor at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, stated that the medical field now acknowledges that no level of alcohol consumption is safe, describing alcohol as a well-established carcinogen. He explained that alcohol damages cells during metabolism, causes oxidative stress, and interferes with DNA repair. Bhora emphasized that alcohol notably disrupts cellular regulation, creating conditions conducive to the formation of cancer cells.
Bhora supports the idea of including prominent cancer warnings on alcohol bottles, similar to those on cigarette packages, a suggestion also endorsed by Murthy. He remarked that social and political pressures often block these necessary measures and called for stronger efforts to inform the public about the risks associated with alcohol consumption.
The notion that moderate drinking might offer health benefits is also being questioned.
The New York Times reported that while previous studies suggested small amounts of alcohol could benefit heart health, critics are now questioning the validity of those findings due to flawed research methods.
Bhora noted that while some believe moderate drinking can help relieve stress, he expressed skepticism about its actual benefits. He mentioned that these claims often stem from anecdotes of centenarians who credit their longevity to a daily glass of wine or scotch. However, he emphasized that the evidence supporting a connection between moderate drinking and longevity is weak.
According to the U.S. Public Health Service, alcohol is now ranked as the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., following smoking and obesity.
Murthy warned that even consuming less than one drink per day increases cancer risk. He highlighted data showing that alcohol was responsible for 741,300 cancer cases worldwide in 2020.
