Study Links Even One Daily Drink to Cancer Risk

Alcohol’s carcinogenic effects may be greater than previously thought, according to a large US study published in The Lancet Regional Health. Between 1990 and 2023, the proportion of cancer deaths linked to alcohol among people aged 20 and over increased by 58%.

The research found that even one alcoholic drink a day increases the risk of death from several types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, pancreatic and liver cancer, according to the Polish science website Nauka w Polsce.

Lead author Chinmay Jani highlighted that among adults aged 20 to 54, colorectal cancer was the leading alcohol-related cancer cause of death in men and the second leading in women. In both sexes, it caused more deaths than liver cancer.

Jani also stressed that the increased cancer risk is not limited to heavy drinkers. Regular consumption, even as little as one drink a day, can raise the risk of cancers that are not commonly associated with alcohol.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies alcohol among the most dangerous carcinogens. In the body, it is converted into acetaldehyde, which damages cellular DNA and interferes with its repair. The European Code Against Cancer states that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption that does not increase cancer risk and recommends either avoiding alcohol entirely or substantially reducing consumption.

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