A globally-known doctor is urging people to do one thing this month to reduce their risk of developing seven types of cancer. Dr Mark Hyman is an educator and speaker, and regularly shares medical advice and information with his millions of social media followers.
In a new update this week, shared jointly by Dr Hyman and his company Functional Health, the expert urged people to do Dry February, after many around the world took part in Dry January – foregoing alcohol for the entire month. The post’s caption reads: “Cutting back or going alcohol-free isn’t just about lowering your cancer risk, it’s about unlocking better health”
It added that those who do can expect better sleep, more energy, improved gut health, and lower blood pressure. Text on the graphics of the post itself added: “Try Dry February too and lower your risk for seven cancers. It’s not just a drink … one drink a day gives a 40% higher risk for certain cancers.”
The update goes on to say that alcohol “breaks down into acetaldehyde which damages DNA and increases cancer risk”, as well as causing “oxidative stress, damaging cells, and causing inflammation”. It can also increase breast cancer risk by altering hormones such as estrogen, and “dissolves carcinogens from other sources, like smoking, making them easier to be absorbed by the body”.
Alcohol, the post continues, also “accelerates biological aging and is linked to heart disease, mental health disorders, liver disease, weakened immunity, and cognitive decline”.