It honestly seems like everything can cause cancer these days. Several tasty foods are linked to cancer, for example, such as red meat, processed foods and foods with added sugar. Even being under the sun’s UV rays for too long is super risky, experts say.
Many of these factors can’t (and sometimes shouldn’t) be totally avoided, because, well, we have to live our lives—and some risk factors are more avoidable and dangerous than others. (For example, you mitigate the risk of skin cancer from sunlight when you rock SPF.)
Plus, when we think about the horrors of cancer—on both the individual who has it and their loved ones—it can be a little easier to avoid those carcinogens.
Ahead, an accomplished doctor and cancer researcher shares one major contributor she urges people to avoid—and it’s something you may have enjoyed recently. (Sorry!)
Related: ‘I’m an Oncologist—This Is the Afternoon Snack I Eat Almost Every Day for Cancer Prevention’
One Thing a Cancer Researcher and Doctor Is Begging You to Never, Ever Do
Consider changing your plans this weekend, because alcohol can seriously jack up your cancer risk.
“Alcohol increases the risk for various types of cancer sevenfold,” says Dr. Bubu Banini, MD, PhD., a hepatologist, gastroenterologist and researcher at Yale Cancer Center and the assistant director of clinical and translational core at the Yale Liver Center.
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The most common cancers that occur in people with high-risk alcohol use, she continues, are liver cancer, head and neck cancers, esophageal cancer, mouth and throat cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer. For those of us who are bad at math, we’ll spell it out: That’s over seven different kinds of cancer from one thing.
But does alcohol itself actually have that big of an impact on cancer risk? Let’s look at the statistics. According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol use accounts for 6% of all cancers and for 4% of cancer-related deaths. While that may not sound a lot, picture an auditorium with 100 guests (i.e., a wedding reception). Now picture learning that six of those guests will get cancer. It homes home a lot harder that way, right?
Related: ‘I Was Diagnosed With Cancer at 16 and Again at 39—These Were the Very First Symptoms I Noticed’
How Drinking Alcohol Affects Your Cancer Risk
Alcohol can contribute to the development of cancer in a few ways: Damage to cells, changes to cells and changes to hormones. Basically, an ingredient in alcohol, ethanol, breaks down into a carcinogenic chemical, acetaldehyde, that damages your DNA. In turn, that affects how cells grow and do their job. When the cell is damaged, the CDC explains, it can grow out of control and become cancer (as cancer literally is caused by uncontrolled cell growth).
This goes for all types of alcohol, by the way—not just liquor. Basically, any food or drink containing ethanol makes the list. Unfortunately, that also includes some sauces, syrups, candies, fruit cakes and more.
Related: Here’s What Happens to Your Body if You Drink Beer Every Day
Can You Drink Any Alcohol Safely?
The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends no more than one drink a day for women and no more than two drinks a day for men.
That’s generally speaking, though. “Individuals with other risk factors for cancer might have a lower threshold of alcohol use that significantly increases their cancer risk,” Dr. Banini says. “Overall, there appears to be no safe level of alcohol use.”
Uh, guys? That is huge.
Related: The #1 Way to Lower Your Cancer Risk Naturally, According to Doctors
Other Risk Factors for Cancer
Alcohol isn’t the only cancer contributor, of course. Others include concurrent illnesses, genetic predisposition, environmental exposures and more, according to Dr. Banini. The National Cancer Institute adds age, chronic inflammation, sunlight, and tobacco use to that list.
Dr. Banini speaks to how these can intersect. “For instance, individuals with high-risk alcohol use in the setting of concurrent metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) or mutation in the PNPLA3 gene have a higher risk for liver cancer compared to those without MASLD or without PNPLA3 mutation,” she says. In other words, risk factors can add up and compound upon each other.
Related: The #1 Early Sign of Lung Cancer, According to Oncologists
Signs of Cancer You Need to Know
Some cancer symptoms you should never ignore include gastrointestinal changes; coughs, headaches and other pains that won’t go away; changes to your breasts, skin or inside of your mouth; persistent fatigue; unexplained weight loss and more.
But cancer has many symptoms, so if you notice something else and feel concerned, your best bet is to talk to a healthcare provider. After all, the early cancer sign that’s missed or ignored most often is not taking action when something feels “off.”
Saying goodbye to alcohol may be hard, though, even if you don’t have an addiction to it—on a societal level, so much socialization for adults is built around booze. We get it! If you don’t need substance use treatment and simply want to pursue sobriety, consider an alternative beverage, such as one of these 18 delicious non-alcoholic drinks.
Up Next:
Related: ‘I’m An Alcohol Addiction Specialist—This Is the One Type of Treatment I See Work the Most Often’
Sources
- Dr. Bubu Banini, MD, PhD., gastroenterologist, hepatologist and cancer researcher
- “5 foods and drinks linked to cancer.” MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas
- “Health Effects of UV Radiation.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- “Alcohol Use and Cancer.” American Cancer Society
- “How does alcohol cause cancer?” Cancer Research U.K.
- “Alcohol and Cancer.” Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC)
- “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025.” Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- “Risk Factors for Cancer.” National Cancer Institute
- “17 Cancer Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore.” UCSF Health
