Is alcohol consumption safe or not? [MUST-READ]

By now, you’ve probably heard that alcohol is dangerous and should only be consumed sparingly, if at all.

But can I be honest with you?

I’m not entirely sure what’s driving this new belief system. I mean, for decades, experts linked moderate alcohol consumption with protection against heart attacks and strokes.

Yet now, the U.S. Surgeon General calls alcohol a leading preventable cause of cancer—and wants it to carry a warning label (similar to a box of cigarettes).

Let’s unpack this a little further…

A convenient scapegoat

Alcohol labels already warn against drinking while pregnant, driving, or operating machinery. They also warn about potential health risks.

But the Surgeon General’s advisory board notes that these warnings have “remained unchanged since its inception in 1988.”

Look, I don’t have a problem with updating these warning labels. If the data supports it, why not?

But blaming casual drinking seems absurd when the government allows countless toxins in our water, soil, and air.

Keeping that in mind, is it truly the alcohol causing this uptick in cancer? Or could it potentially be the chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides) involved in cultivating and growing the ingredients that go into these beverages (like hops, wheat, corn, and grapes)?

To me, this isn’t so black and white. Not when you realize our government loves to choose a scapegoat. Remember when it was eggs, and then fat, and then red meat, and then…

Yeah, the list goes on.

The pieces aren’t adding up

Let’s cut to the chase: It’s true that alcohol contributes to 100,000 cancer diagnoses and 20,000 cancer-related deaths each year.

But obesity is linked to 180,000 deaths worldwide—and 25,000 in the U.S. each year.

So why not slap warning labels on sugar or ultra-processed foods—those addictive food concoctions designed to keep you coming back for more? (I’m not sure what the alcohol lobby did wrong this time, but wow, are they getting singled out!)

Now, the Surgeon General points out that studies link alcohol to several cancers, including breast and colon cancer.

Can you guess how many cancers sugar consumption is related to? Thirteen.

Are you catching my drift here?

Don’t get me wrong—excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. But the same can be said for soda, chips, white bread, and more.

And let me end on this note: According to the Surgeon General’s report, alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of cancer… after tobacco and obesity.

So, tobacco has a label—and now they want to label booze. Why does No. 2 get a free pass?

Food for thought.

Want to learn more about “your body on booze?” Check out the September 2021 issue of my monthly Logical Health Alternatives newsletter, where I break down the good, the bad, and the unknown effects of alcohol. Click here to read it!

Source:

“US surgeon general sounds alarm about link between alcohol and cancer.” CNN Health, 01/03/2025. (cnn.com/2025/01/03/health/alcohol-cancer-surgeon-generals-advisory/index.html)