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Sound Health is a recurring series that airs twice each month on WGLT's Sound Ideas program.Support for Sound Health comes from Carle Health, bringing care, coverage, support, healthcare research and education to central Illinois and beyond.

Link between alcohol and cancer may fuel 'sober-curious,' leading bar owners to pivot — again

A man stands behind a bar with taps on a white tiled wall. In front of him is a row of various beer cans on the counter. He is wearing a black t-shirt and a white cap. Glasses and books are visible on the shelves below the taps.
Lauren Warnecke
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WGLT
Jon Kemp, owner of Kemp's Upper Tap, has been ahead of the curve adding custom non-alcoholic beers to the menu. He said craft NA brew masters have greatly improved in the past five years, creating delicious, seasonal lager, IPA and sour alternatives.

Researchers predict about a quarter of American adults observe Dry January—committing to a 31-day break from alcohol after what, for many, is the most gluttonous time of the year. Experts say even a temporary dry spell has health benefits ranging from clearer skin and better sleep to more profound changes like weight loss and improved liver function.

As the calendar flips to February, Dry January joiners have added incentive to stave off alcohol. Shortly before leaving his post, outgoing Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory about a direct link between alcohol consumption and cancer risk. The report said alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States.

A woman with long brown hair is smiling and looking at the camera. She is wearing a red blouse and a black cardigan against a gray background.
courtesy
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OSF Healthcare
Jeanna Rich, a board-certified clinical oncology dietitian with OSF Cancer Institute.

“The research and evidence has been piling for decades,” said Jeanna Rich, a board-certified clinical oncology dietitian with OSF Cancer Institute. Rich works with people undergoing cancer treatment and provides preventative community education.

“It’s great that it’s finally coming out,” Rich said. “We wish it was sooner, but I think this is great information and knowledge for people."

According to findings from American Association for Cancer Research, alcohol elevates risk of certain types of cancer more than others, including digestive organs that “alcohol touches,” Rich said. Risk of liver and breast cancers are also elevated, particularly in women, due to alcohol’s role in elevating estrogen levels. Researchers predicted 5.4% of all cancers were attributed to alcohol consumption, compounded against other risk factors like tobacco use, obesity and family history.

Murthy has said the current guidelines for healthy consumption (up to 1 drink per day for women and 2 drinks for men) carry cancer risk and should be adjusted. In multiple interviews last month, he suggested the recommendation change to 1-2 drinks per week. He also wants to see a third surgeon general warning added to alcohol packaging. Current warnings already exist for the dangers of drinking and driving and drinking while pregnant. That requires an act of Congress, which has generally expressed broad bipartisan support for public health initiatives aimed at cancer prevention. The Surgeon General is nominated by the president and approved by the Senate. And though the office is currently vacant, officials in acting roles at the Department of Health and Human Services have removed department news releases published by Murthy’s office in January from their website.

Both ideas, if enacted, have potential ramifications for beer, wine and liquor distributors, as well as bar and restaurant owners. And public messaging around added health risks associated with alcohol could hurt their bottom line.

“I’m actually surprised the warnings haven’t been on there already,” said Jon Kemp, owner of Kemp’s Upper Tap in Lexington. “You roll with the punches. You pivot. If there’s one thing the past five years have taught us—all the things we had to do with that—this is just another pivot.”

Kemp's Upper Tap is ahead of the curve, already offering a rotating selection of non-alcoholic craft beers. Kemp partnered with Untitled Art (Waunakee, Wis.), Go Brewing (Naperville, Ill.) and Athletic Brewing Co. (Milford, Conn.), all small craft brew masters flipping the script on NA beers.

A selection of six colorful beverage cans lined up on a dark countertop. The background features a white tile wall with various drink taps. The cans are diverse in design and style, suggesting a variety of flavors or types.
Lauren Warnecke
/
WGLT
Kemp's Upper Tap partners with Untitled Art, Go Brewing and Athletic Brewing Co., offering six NA beers that can be ordered at the bar to purchased to go in four-packs.

“This actually tastes like craft beer,” Kemp said. “As a craft beer bar, we wanted to bring them on and embrace that. Once you’ve tried the flavors, it’s insane how far they’ve come in four or five years.”

Gen Z may be driving the cultural shift toward growing approval of NA alternatives and mocktails. Young adults drink less than Millennials and Gen X-ers did at their age. And binge drinking rates have dropped too.

Kemp said he noticed alcohol sales slump in 2020 when Illinois legalized cannabis.

“But you have people who want to come out and socialize and have a beverage,” he said. “So, sales have gone up in non-alcoholics.”

The growing mocktail movement is good news for people who want to reduce their alcohol intake for any reason and socialize without as much pressure to drink. Coincidentally, the other big announcement former Surgeon General Murthy made during his tenure was surrounding an epidemic of loneliness. And mixologists are increasingly creative, opting for antioxidant-rich, cancer-fighting ingredients over sugary mixers.

Rich suggests club soda and pure pomegranate juice, for example, or sweet/spicy alternatives using aromatics and spices such as paprika. And whether you subscribe to Dry January, Dry July, Sober September or “rosé all day,” weighing the risk is the most important thing.

“If you’re really focused on cancer prevention or preventing reoccurrence, it’s best to avoid alcohol. Just take that risk factor away,” said Rich. “However, you have to be mindful of what you value in your day and in your life and remember not everything has to be a complete restriction.”

Lauren Warnecke is a reporter at WGLT. You can reach Lauren at lewarne@ilstu.edu.