Alcohol consumption identified as a cancer risk factor

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. According to the National Cancer Institute, an estimated 2,001,140 new cases will be diagnosed and 611,720 people will die from the disease during the entire period of 2024. The most common cancers are breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, melanoma, and liver cancer.¹

The causes of cancer are diverse,² However, some examples can significantly increase the risk. For example, smoking cigarettes.³ And obesity⁴ It has long been associated with cancer, but alcohol is another example that needs to be discussed, and I don't think this topic has been explored enough.

Excessive alcohol consumption puts your health at risk

The study was published July 11, 2024 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.⁵ They looked at modifiable risk factors that can lead to cancer. The most important examples they found were cigarette smoking and obesity. Another major modifiable factor was alcohol consumption.⁶

Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed drugs in the United States.⁷ It is classified as such because it is considered a “psychoactive central nervous system (CNS)” depressant, meaning that alcohol can affect cognition and emotions.⁸ Alcohol (along with tobacco) is legal, but is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act. Instead, its production and sale are regulated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.⁹

In a 2022 survey,¹⁰ According to data collected by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), 221.3 million people aged 12 and older reported having consumed alcohol at some point in their lives. But the statistics on stronger consumption are most concerning. According to the survey, 61.2 million people aged 12 and older reported binge drinking in the past month, and 16.1 million people aged 12 and older admitted to heavy drinking.

Alcohol consumption may seem like a normal part of society, but chronic drinking can lead to disease, especially cancer. According to the study authors:¹¹

“Alcohol consumption was the fourth largest contributing factor to all cancer cases in men (4.7%; 42,400 cases) and the third largest contributing factor in women (6.2%; 54,330 cases). About half of oral cancers (49.9%; 10,350 cases) and pharynx cancers (44.6%; 6,460 cases) in men and a quarter of oral cancers (25.1%; 2,600 cases), esophageal cancers (24.2%; 1,000 cases) and pharynx cancers (22.5%; 760 cases) in women were attributable to alcohol consumption.

However, female breast cancer had the largest number of attributed cases (44,180 cases), followed by colorectal cancer in both men (13,850 cases) and women (4,630 cases). The proportion of cases attributed to alcohol consumption by cancer type was higher in men than in women, except for esophageal cancer.”

The researchers concluded their study by emphasizing the impact of adopting a healthy lifestyle to reduce cancer risk. According to their analysis, about 40% of all cancer cases and half of all deaths recorded were attributable to the modifiable risk factors mentioned in the study.¹² These include lack of physical activity, dietary choices (low intake of fruits and vegetables), and chronic infections.¹³

How Alcohol Can Cause Cancer

According to one study,¹⁴ “Alcoholic beverages are carcinogenic to humans,” according to a study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Chronic consumption can lead to cirrhosis, a known risk factor for liver cancer. Researchers point to the ethanol content of these beverages as the culprit, which causes negative changes in biological processes in the body. Among the areas affected are DNA repair, immune function, and sex hormone regulation.¹⁵

Digging deeper into the mechanism, the study¹⁶ According to a study published in Nutrients, ethanol is converted to acetaldehyde when consumed, which is “highly reactive with DNA and has several carcinogenic and genotoxic properties.” As with the previously cited study, the researchers noted that acetaldehyde can interfere with DNA function, causing mutations and double-strand breaks. Additionally, acetaldehyde binds to glutathione, which interferes with its protective effects.

Ethanol has also been linked to inducing more oxidative stress in the body, a process that is recognized as a starting point for cancer development. One way it induces oxidative stress is by increasing CYP2E1 activity in the system, which generates large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS).¹⁷

Ethanol also generates ROS in other pathways, such as the mitochondrial respiratory chain. When enough ROS is generated, it can lead to lipid peroxidation, which in turn causes mutations that suppress several genes involved in tumor suppression.¹⁸ Alcohol consumption also increases inflammation, which in turn increases cancer risk. The authors succinctly summarize this particular process:¹⁹

“Chronic alcohol consumption can recruit certain white blood cells (monocytes and macrophages) to the tumor microenvironment.

These leukocytes produce inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and the interleukins IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8, which activate oxidant-generating enzymes that form ROS downstream. NF-κB is also activated by these cytokines, further stimulating ROS-generating enzymes.

In addition to its involvement in downstream ROS-generating pathways, IL-8 has been hypothesized to contribute to the additional accumulation of leukocytes (particularly neutrophils) in the liver, thereby inducing acute inflammation. IL-8 levels have been shown to be elevated in patients with acute liver injury, such as alcoholic hepatitis.”

Alcohol can open the gateway to cancer in the intestines

The gut microbiome plays a huge role in health prevention and management. When it is not in optimal condition, the risk of disease increases. One study²⁰ In a study published in 2021, researchers highlighted that chronic inflammation driven by the microbiome may contribute to the development of liver disease. As you might imagine, alcohol is one of the factors that disrupts the gut microbiome.

According to the report,²¹ According to the New York Times, chronic drinkers often have a gut dysbiosis, which is an imbalance of probiotics and pathogenic bacteria in the gut. As a result, they are at greater risk for inflammation. In addition, heavy drinkers are at greater risk for leaky gut, which allows toxins to enter the bloodstream and enter the liver. On the other hand, light drinkers tend to have a more diverse gut flora.

When pathogenic bacteria in the gut outnumber probiotics, it can affect gut health and increase the risk of cancer. According to a study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, the way pathogenic bacteria remodel the environment around host cells can lead to tumor formation.²²

When the immune system tries to fight off an infection, the resulting inflammation causes DNA damage, which further promotes cell proliferation. In addition, the damaged epithelial barrier of the intestine is infiltrated by immune cells. When these encounter a tumor, they produce inflammatory cytokines, which promote chronic inflammation and create an environment favorable for tumor growth.²³

Exercise can help counteract the effects of alcohol

Fortunately, you can mitigate and reverse the damage caused by alcohol. One of the simplest strategies you can implement right away is to exercise regularly.

In a meta-analysis²⁴ A review of 61 studies found that exercise not only helps improve physical fitness, but also helps reduce alcohol consumption, making it an effective treatment option for people diagnosed with alcohol use disorder.

How can exercise help reduce alcohol consumption? There are several answers to this question. One study found that²⁵ A review of drugs and alcohol found that participants drank less alcohol while exercising, because the intervention focused more on the physical activity itself rather than on solving the problem by teaching people how to stop drinking.

In addition, exercise improved mood, which reduced the tendency to drink less alcohol. It also improved physical strength, weight, and pain relief, providing valuable inspiration to continue exercising.²⁶

Moderate exercise is recommended. Moderate exercise is exercise that leaves you a little out of breath but still able to talk to someone. Examples include gardening, walking, biking around the neighborhood, yoga, casual swimming, and pickleball.

In an interview with cardiologist James O'Keefe, he said that moderate exercise cannot be excessive and that it improves mortality better than intense exercise. He observed in his research that excessive amounts of high-intensity exercise do not provide additional benefits compared to those who exercise at a moderate intensity.

Support your liver health to reduce alcohol damage

The best way to protect your health from alcohol-related diseases is to stop drinking these beverages in the first place. However, if you must drink, drink responsibly and limit your intake. It is also important to remember the following strategies to help protect your liver from alcohol damage.