(NewsNation) — While many Americans view “Dry January” as a health reset to kick off the new year, health experts say the challenge comes with an often overlooked benefit — cancer prevention.
Opting out of drinking during January is often associated with better sleep, weight loss and clearer skin. However, health experts with UK HealthCare in Lexington, Kentucky, say the challenge can play a role in reducing the risk of several cancers associated with alcohol use, “including head and neck, esophageal, liver, breast and colorectal.”
According to the World Health Organization, alcohol has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer for decades. This means there is technically no safe level of consumption.
“It doesn’t matter how much you drink — the risk to the drinker’s health starts from the first drop of any alcoholic beverage,” said Dr. Carina Ferreira-Borges of the WHO. “The only thing we can say for sure is that the more you drink, the more harmful it is. Or, in other words, the less you drink, the safer it is.”
The University of California, Los Angeles notes that a 2020 study found that alcohol is associated with more than 740,000 new cancer cases globally each year. As a result, many health experts are encouraging those taking part in “Dry January” or even a “Damp January,” so to speak, to use the time to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol and to even consider making changes to go beyond the end of the month.
“Even just small reductions make a difference,” Emma Veilleux, a senior dietitian with the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, said.
