Modest Drinking Linked to Cancer & Early Death
- A new scientific analysis suggests even a small amount of alcohol is unsafe when it comes to cancer risk.
- This analysis, called the alcohol Intake & Health Study, was funded by the U.S.
- tim Naimi, MD, MPH, a study coauthor and director of the Canadian Institute for Substance use Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, says that current...
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Even Small Amounts of Alcohol May Increase Cancer Risk, New Analysis Suggests
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A new scientific analysis suggests even a small amount of alcohol is unsafe when it comes to cancer risk. The researchers found that the negative health impacts of alcohol start with any level of use, and increase as consumption goes up.
This analysis, called the alcohol Intake & Health Study, was funded by the U.S. government to inform an update of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2025-2030. A draft report was released in January and posted online for public comment.
tim Naimi, MD, MPH, a study coauthor and director of the Canadian Institute for Substance use Research at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, says that current U.S. dietary guidelines, which advise limiting alcohol to two drinks or fewer per day for men and one drink or less per day for women, are “quite risky.”
A representative for the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) did not respond to a request for comment.
Low Levels of Alcohol Linked With Elevated risk of Cancer
The analysis features an in-depth breakdown of existing research, along with statistical models based on the American population. The researchers organized the data by how many drinks people had daily.
The researchers discovered that men and women have a 1 in 1,000 chance of dying from alcohol use if they consume more than seven drinks a week. This risk increases to 1 in 100 if they consume more than nine drinks per week.
| Weekly Alcohol Consumption | Risk of Death from Alcohol Use |
|---|---|
| More than 7 drinks | 1 in 1,000 |
| More than 9 drinks | 1 in 100 |
The report also links alcohol use with a higher risk of death from seven forms of cancer: colorectal, breast, liver, oral, pharynx, larynx, and esophagus.
Priscilla Martinez,PhD,a study coauthor and deputy scientific director of the Alcohol research Group,explains,”We found that the risk of developing an alcohol-related cancer starts with any alcohol use, and increases with higher levels of use, and that women have a greater risk of an alcohol-related cancer when drinking the same amount as men, mostly driven by the strong association between alcohol use and breast cancer.”
Findings Line up With growing Scientific Consensus
The draft report hasn’t yet been peer-reviewed, which is a common step in research submitted to academic journals in order to ensure accuracy. (The researchers are planning to pursue publication.)