Just one alcoholic drink a day increases the risk of cancer

Alcohol may play a much more sinister role in cancer mortality in the United States than previously thought. A new study that revealed this pattern is reported by KSL.

"While overall cancer mortality is indeed declining, we found that over the past 33 years, the proportion of cancer deaths attributable to alcohol has increased by more than 58% among people aged 20 years and older," said study co-author Dr. Chinmay Jani.

The researchers found that increased mortality risk applies to cancers of the breast, prostate, colon and rectum, stomach, pancreas and liver, as well as head and neck tumors.

On the subject: What is more harmful: alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or sugar

"Overall, we know that alcohol is strongly associated with liver cancer mortality," said Jani, a senior researcher at the University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center.

"It's particularly significant that among adults aged 20 to 54, colorectal cancer has become the leading cause of alcohol-related cancer deaths in men and the second-leading cause in women, surpassing liver cancer in both groups," he said. "For women, the leading cause of alcohol-related deaths was breast cancer."

Heavy drinking wasn't required to increase the risk—about one standard drink per day was enough, Jani clarified. In the US, a standard drink is considered a large glass of regular beer, a glass of wine, or 50 grams of spirits.

For decades, federal guidelines in the United States recommended limiting alcohol consumption to two standard drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. In January, the Donald Trump administration removed these guidelines, replacing them with the recommendation to "drink less alcohol for better overall health."

Having a daily cocktail was once considered a normal part of everyday life, but modern research shows that this is an outdated notion, said cardiologist Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver.

"Our long-held ideas about alcohol continue to change dramatically as modern science shows us there is no safe level of alcohol consumption," said Freeman, who was not involved in the study. "These findings, along with a number of others, suggest that the risks of alcohol consumption are much broader."

The Distilled Spirits Council of America, which represents the industry, told CNN that the claim of "unsafe levels" of alcohol is not supported by the study.

"This distorts the overall scientific evidence and the complex relationship between alcohol and health," said Amanda Berger, senior vice president of the research council.

How Alcohol Contributes to Cancer

Alcohol alters hormone levels, particularly estrogen, which is thought to be one reason for the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer.

The ethanol found in alcohol is broken down in the liver into acetaldehyde, a substance considered a "probable human carcinogen." Although the liver then converts it into the harmless molecule acetate, this process isn't always perfect: acetaldehyde can damage DNA and interfere with its repair.

Moreover, alcohol increases oxidative stress, which damages DNA, proteins, and cells, and causes inflammation. Furthermore, it weakens the cells of the mouth and throat, making them more vulnerable to carcinogens—especially when combined with smoking, which itself is a source of acetaldehyde.

In addition, alcohol interferes with the absorption and breakdown of vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as folate, a B vitamin that protects against cancer.

Differences by age and gender

The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, analyzed more than 30 years of U.S. data collected as part of the Global Burden of Disease project, a large-scale scientific effort that assesses mortality, disease, and risk factors in more than 200 countries and territories.

From 1990 to 2023, the total number of annual alcohol-related cancer deaths in the United States more than doubled, from 11,361 to 23,126.

The greatest impact was observed among men and people 55+. Among older men, mortality from alcohol-related cancers increased by almost 24% over 33 years. Among men, the leading cause of death was liver cancer, followed by esophageal and colorectal cancer. Among women over 55, breast cancer ranked first, followed by liver cancer and colorectal cancer.

For women of all ages and men under 55, even smaller amounts of alcohol are associated with a higher risk than for men over 55, Jani said.

"If the same amount of alcohol is consumed by a woman or a young man, the risk of developing cancer is significantly higher," he noted.

Of the 10 cancer types examined in the study, the smallest increases in alcohol-related deaths were seen for prostate, pancreatic, and stomach cancers, but even for these cancers, rates increased over time.

Alcohol plays a significant role in mortality from head and neck cancers, including cancers of the lip, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus. Up to a quarter of these cases are alcohol-related, which, according to Jani, is "clearly preventable."

“While our research doesn’t allow us to say that we should abstain from alcohol completely, we want to convey that reducing consumption to the lowest possible level is the best choice for health,” he concluded.

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