For some people, this post today may ruin your day. We’ve always been told, even in medical school, that alcohol in moderation, especially red wine, may actually be beneficial to your health. There’s even a scripture in the Bible where the Apostle Paul tells his young protégé, Timothy, “No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” (I Tim. 5:23)

But keep in mind the quality of the water in those days was poor and the alcoholic content of the wine was low. And the best medical practices of the day was the anointing of the head with oil!

Unfortunately, the latest medical research challenges our previous conceptions about alcohol use in moderation. Zena le Roux, writing in The Epoch Times, tells us “Lighting a cigarette in a crowded room might earn you glares, but pouring a glass of wine? That’s still seen as relatively harmless—even healthy by some. Yet few people realize that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, in the same category as tobacco and asbestos. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Group I carcinogens can result in cancer in humans.”

Today, alcohol is linked to at least seven types of cancer: oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, colorectal, liver, and female breast. Globally, alcohol consumption is associated with about 740,000 new cancer cases each year. Breast, esophageal (food pipe), and liver cancers are the three most strongly linked to alcohol use.

The main culprit is ethanol—the pure form of alcohol found in all alcoholic drinks. When the body breaks down ethanol, it produces acetaldehyde, a toxic substance, which can damage DNA. The effect of ethanol and acetaldehyde on our cells and DNA may change how cells replicate and stop the body from repairing the damage.

“All types of alcoholic beverages contain ethanol—beers, wine, and spirits all pose a risk,” Carina Ferreira-Borges, a public health specialist and World Health Organization regional adviser for alcohol, told The Epoch Times. Alcohol also promotes oxidative stress and inflammation, which can further harm DNA. It may also affect hormone levels, particularly estrogen, which can raise the risk of breast cancer.

No Safe Levels

Research has established that alcohol is a cause of cancer, even at low levels of intake. For instance, it has been shown that women who have less than one drink per day still have a higher risk of breast cancer than those who don’t drink at all. Light to moderate drinking—defined as fewer than 20 grams of pure alcohol per day—was linked to approximately 23,000 new cancer cases in the European Union in 2017. That’s roughly equivalent to less than 1.5 liters of wine, 3.5 liters of beer, or 450 ml of spirits per week. More than one-third of these cases were tied to light drinking of less than 10 grams per day.

In the United States, awareness that alcohol increases cancer risk was highest for liquor, at about 31 percent, followed by beer and wine. Some believe that alcohol might be protective—or at least pose no harm. To address this critical gap in public awareness, one key strategy, Ferreira-Borges said, is making health warnings on alcoholic products more visible and explicit, similar to tobacco labels.

“Labels should clearly state the cancer risk and other health dangers associated with drinking,” she said. Ferreira-Borges also emphasized the need for stronger regulation to curb the alcohol industry’s influence on policy and research. “Governments must prioritize public health over profits,” she said. Finally, health care professionals should educate patients about the dangers of even moderate alcohol use, Ferreira-Borges said, but they need clear guidance and support to do so effectively.

We all know alcoholic drinking can lead to cirrhosis of the liver as well as social and emotional decline. Now we know it can also lead to cancer. It’s time to take drinking seriously.