A popular New Year’s resolution is to stop drinking alcohol. Heavy drinking can increase your risk for hypertension, irregular heartbeat, obesity, liver disease, stroke, breast and colon cancer, depression and suicide.
New initiatives like Dry January encourage people to abstain from drinking wine, beer, cocktails and liquor for 31 days. Observing Dry January could be your first step in adopting a healthy lifestyle choice: to limit or stop consuming alcohol long term.
Avoiding alcohol can improve your sleep, increase your energy, promote weight loss and reduce your risk for colon cancer, a leading cause of cancer death.
Alcohol Use Contributes to Cancer Risk
Drinking alcohol is one of the most preventable risk factors for cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, alcohol use causes six percent of all cancer cases and four percent of cancer fatalities.
Alcohol can increase the risk for several types of cancer, including the following:
- Liver
- Mouth
- Throat
- Voice box
- Esophagus
- Breast
- Colon and rectum
Studies show alcohol can increase the risk for colorectal cancer in men more than women, but it affects both genders.
New research suggests alcohol may also affect your risk for developing melanoma as well as pancreatic and prostate cancer.
What Does Alcohol Do in the Body to Affect Cancer Risk?
Alcohol can increase the risk for cancer in different ways, depending on the type of cancer. How much alcohol you consume makes more of a difference than the type of alcohol you ingest.
Alcohol Damages Cells
Ethanol, the type of alcohol in wine, beer and liquor, causes irritation in cells. Once consumed, ethanol converts to acetaldehyde, a chemical that can harm DNA and cause cancer in lab animals.
Drinking can lead to oxidative stress, which damages cells. As the diseased cells try to repair themselves, they can have errors in their DNA. Cancer can develop when damaged cells divide.
Alcohol Prevents the Body from Absorbing Essential Nutrients
Drinking alcohol may hinder the body’s capacity to absorb essential vitamins such as folate, which plays a crucial role in tissue development, cell division, red blood cell production and protein synthesis. Low folate levels may increase the risk for colorectal cancer.
Drinking Alcohol Can Contribute to Obesity
Alcoholic drinks can be high in calories and cause the body to gain more fat, especially in the abdomen. Excess fat that surrounds the organs can increase the risk for several cancers, including colorectal cancer.
Limiting Alcohol Will Bring Better Long-Term Results
Instead of making long-term resolutions that you will likely break or committing to 31 days of abstinence from drinking, The American Heart Association encourages Americans to limit their daily alcohol intake to one to two drinks for men and one drink for women.
Understanding what constitutes a serving of alcohol is crucial. A standard serving is 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor or 1 ounce of 100-proof liquor.
To help you decrease drinking alcohol, you can …
- Eat a meal before or during your consumption of an alcoholic drink.
- Try alcohol-free beer, wine or cider.
- Keep a diary to track your alcohol intake.
- Ask a friend or relative to keep you accountable.
Alcohol Is a Modifiable Risk Factor for Colon Cancer
A new report published in the American Association for Cancer Research found that 40 percent of all cancer cases have a connection to lifestyle habits. The report calls these habits “modifiable risk factors” because we can change them by ourselves. One of the primary modifiable risk factors is alcohol consumption.
This study is important because colon cancer incidence continues to rise among adults younger than 50. Between 2022 and 2019, young-onset colon cancer incidence increased by 1.9 percent per year. Research suggests alcohol use in early and middle adulthood can have a profound influence on colon and rectal cancer risk later in life.
Not everyone who drinks will develop colon cancer, but studies like this one show a distinct correlation: avoiding or limiting the amount of alcohol consumed can lower your risk.
Other risk factors for colorectal cancer are out of your control, such as the following:
- Inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- Personal history of polyps or colon cancer
- Family history of colorectal cancer or polyps
- A genetic condition like Lynch syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis
What Are Other Modifiable Risks for Colon Cancer?
You can develop healthy lifestyle habits that can lower your risk for cancer of the colon or rectum.
- Quit smoking or never begin to smoke.
- Be physically active every day. The American Medical Association recommends a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or at least 75 minutes each week of vigorous exercise or an equivalent combination.
- Eat a high-fiber diet with a variety of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and plant-based fats. Avoid or limit red and processed meats, and reduce your sugar intake.
- Get adequate amounts of calcium, vitamin D and folate. Talk to your doctor about ways to increase your vitamin intake through food. If you cannot obtain your daily recommended vitamins through food, your doctor may prescribe a supplement.
Schedule a Colorectal Cancer Screening
The best New Year’s resolution you can make is to schedule a colorectal cancer screening. Colon cancer is highly treatable when detected in the initial stages, and you have many screening options.
A colonoscopy is the most effective colorectal cancer screening test because it allows your doctor to view the entire colon and remove precancerous polyps before they can develop into cancer. Stool tests and blood tests are quick and non-invasive, but only colonoscopy can prevent colon cancer.
Your gastroenterologist can also treat digestive conditions like diverticulitis, irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease, Barrett’s esophagus and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). You don’t have to live with discomfort, reflux or stomach pain. Call today to make an appointment.