Why alcohol consumption among adults has hit an all-time low
Fewer Americans are drinking alcohol, and more now see even moderate drinking as a health risk, according to a new Gallup poll.
Unbranded – Lifestyle
Alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, but how much does it take to increase your risk?
A new study published January 26 in the American Cancer Society’s peer-reviewed journal Cancer found that drinkers who averaged 14 or more drinks per week during their lifetime had a 25% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer and a 95% higher risk of developing rectal cancer compared to those who averaged less than one drink per week.
Moderate alcohol intake, measured as less than 7 to 14 drinks per week, was associated with lower risk compared to heavy drinkers.
The more you drink over your lifetime, the higher your risk, especially for rectal cancer, but the study also found good news: quitting drinking may lower your risk.
“While data on former drinkers are sparse, we are encouraged to see that their risk may revert to that of light drinkers,” co-senior author Ericka Loftfield of the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute said in a news release.
Researchers used data from U.S. adults who participated in the National Cancer Institute’s Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial to analyze 1,679 cases of colorectal cancer that occurred among 88,092 participants over 20 years of follow-up.
Earlier this month, new evidence released by the American Cancer Society showed that colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among people under 50 in the United States.
“We did not expect colorectal cancer to increase so quickly to this level, but it has become clear that this is no longer a disease of the elderly,” Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, the study’s senior author and senior vice president for surveillance, prevention, and health services research at the American Cancer Society, said in a news release at the time.
Meanwhile, according to the latest dietary guidelines, federal health officials will no longer advise Americans on how much alcoholic beverages is safe to consume, instead urging people to “reduce their alcohol intake” and avoid it altogether if they have certain health conditions.
Christopher Kahler, director of the Center for Alcohol Abuse Research at Brown University, previously told USA TODAY, “There is some risk with every level of drinking, and the risk increases as you drink more.” “The current guidelines do not discuss risks, only that drinking less alcohol is better for your health.”
