After weeks of holiday parties and festive drinks, an estimated one in three Americans are pressing pause on alcohol as part of Dry January, a monthlong challenge that originated in the United Kingdom back in 2013.

Health experts say the trend of going “dry” for a month can improve how the body feels and works, but no amount of alcohol should be considered “safe,” advises Dr. Abraham Thomas, internal medicine specialist with Silver Cross Medical Group in Mokena.

“While alcohol may be a fixture in many of our social settings, its health risks are significant and far-reaching,” Thomas said in a news release from the Silver Cross Medical Group. “There is no ‘safe’ amount of alcohol consumption.”

How regular alcohol use affects your health

“One of the most alarming health risks increasingly associated with alcohol is its link to cancer,” Thomas said. “The World Health Organization classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence that it causes cancer in humans. Alcohol consumption is strongly linked to cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, breast, liver, colon and rectum.”

Regular alcohol use has been seen as having a possible link to pancreatic and stomach cancers, the release said.

“The risk increases with the amount consumed, and there is no safe threshold—any amount of alcohol can raise cancer risk. Remember that combining alcohol with tobacco multiplies the risk," Thomas said.

Alcohol is broken down in our bodies into acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical that damages DNA and prevents cells from repairing this damage, the release said. This increases the likelihood of mutations or changes to our cell structure that can lead to cancer, the release said.

“Alcohol can also make it easier for harmful chemicals (like those in tobacco) to enter cells, further raising cancer risk,” Thomas added. “It may also affect hormone levels, which is particularly relevant for breast cancer.”

The link between alcohol and cancer is “so strong that many countries all over the world have warning labels on alcohol that highlight the risks of developing cancer. In the U.S., we do not,” he said in the release.

Additional health risks

“Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, and chronic drinking can lead to cognitive decline, memory loss, and an increased risk of developing mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety,” Thomas said.

Regular alcohol consumption also weakens the immune system, making the body more susceptible to infections like pneumonia.

Other risks include

• Pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas, can contribute to the development of gastritis and ulcers.
• Osteoporosis occurs when alcohol consumption interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium and vitamin D, leading to weakened bones.

“Beyond direct physical effects, alcohol consumption leads to a range of social and indirect health risks,” Thomas said. “These include an increased likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors, such as unprotected sex or driving under the influence, which can result in accidents, injuries, or transmission of diseases.”

While avoiding alcohol consumption in the short term can lead to tangible improvements in your health, the safest approach is eliminating it altogether, the release said.