It’s long been known that no amount of alcohol is good for the body — and now new research spotlights the potential harm it can cause.

More than 5% of all cancer cases are caused by drinking alcohol, according to the Cancer Progress Report 2024 from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).

Among the modifiable risk factors for cancer, alcohol is the third biggest, behind obesity (7.6% of cases) and cigarette smoking (19.3%).

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“Excessive levels of alcohol consumption increase the risk for six different types of cancer, including certain types of head and neck cancer, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and breast, colorectal, liver and stomach cancers,” said Rajarshi Sengupta, PhD, lead author of the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024, in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.

“Further, research shows that alcohol intake at an early age can increase the risk of cancer later in life.”

Based on these findings, limiting or eliminating alcohol can reduce the risk of developing alcohol-related cancers by 8% and the risk of all cancers by 4%, the report noted.

Addiction expert warns of risks

There has been a “roller coaster of information” about whether alcohol is harmful, according to addiction psychiatrist Dr. Adam Scioli of Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania.

“There have even been reports for years that it could be beneficial for one’s health — but we know now that alcohol ingestion is one of the modifiable risk factors for cancer,” Scioli, who is not affiliated with AACR, told Fox News Digital.

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Around 75,000 Americans each year are diagnosed with a cancer that is linked in some way to alcohol use, according to Scioli. 

The more someone drinks — both in volume and frequency — the higher the risk, he warned.

Among the modifiable risk factors for cancer, alcohol is the third biggest, behind obesity (7.6% of cases) and cigarette smoking (19.3%). (iStock)

“Alcohol is a toxin,” Scioli said. 

“We’ve long known that it impacts any number of organs, essentially starting with the brain and working its way down to the colorectal system.”

Is there a ‘safe’ amount?

Moderate alcohol use is defined as one drink or less in one day for women. 

For men, it is two drinks or fewer per day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“We’ve long known that alcohol impacts any number of organs, starting with the brain and working its way down to the colorectal system.”

“Drinking alcohol in moderation may increase your overall risks of death and chronic disease,” the agency stated on its website.

“Even low levels of alcohol use (less than one drink per day) can raise the risk of certain cancers.”

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Scioli agreed, emphasizing that “we can definitely say there’s no added health benefit to ingestion of alcohol.”

“The line between safety and danger is debatable, and is different for each person.”

While risk factors like tobacco use are widely known, public awareness about the link between alcohol and cancer is still low, according to Sengupta.

Moderate alcohol use is defined as one drink or less in one day for women, and two drinks or fewer for men, per the CDC. (iStock)

Most Americans (51%) are not aware that alcohol increases cancer risk, per AACR data.

“It’s been flying under the radar for far too long — especially given the number of Americans who have met the criteria for alcohol use disorder, which is around 29 million Americans in 2023,” said Scioli.

What needs to change?

The good news, according to Scioli, is that with modifiable risk factors like alcohol, reducing the intake decreases the risk. 

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As the report stated, those who are successful in decreasing their drinking or abstaining below those moderate risk levels will see a risk reduction in overall cancers, he noted.

Around 75,000 Americans each year are diagnosed with a cancer that is linked in some way to alcohol use, an expert said. (iStock)

“We need to do a much better job of making the public aware of the risks inherent in drinking — particularly moderate to heavy drinking,” Scioli said. 

“And we need to make the public aware that there are mechanisms by which they can access help if they are unable to moderate their drinking or quit on their own.”

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To help raise awareness, Sengupta of the AACR called for public messaging campaigns, “such as cancer-specific warning labels displayed on alcoholic beverages.”

Along with that, she told Fox News Digital, “effective clinical strategies that reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption must be considered to reduce the burden of alcohol-related cancers.”

A new drug has been approved for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults.

On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved COBENFY (xanomeline and trospium chloride), an oral medication that is manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb in New Jersey.

This marks the first new class of medications for the brain disorder in several decades, according to a press release.

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COBENFY is expected to be available in the U.S. in late October, the company noted.

“Today’s landmark approval of our first-in-class treatment for schizophrenia marks an important milestone for the community, where after more than 30 years, there is now an entirely new pharmacological approach for schizophrenia — one that has the potential to change the treatment paradigm,” said Chris Boerner, PhD, board chair and chief executive officer at Bristol Myers Squibb, in the press release.

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Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

It often causes hallucinations, delusions, disordered speech and loss of touch with reality, Mayo Clinic states on its website.

COBENFY (xanomeline and trospium chloride) is an oral medication that is manufactured by Bristol Myers Squibb in New Jersey. (Bristol Myers Squibb)

The disorder can also lead to lack of emotional expression, lack of motivation, cognitive dysfunction and social withdrawal.

Approximately 2.8 million people in the U.S. and 24 million people globally are living with schizophrenia.

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The disorder has traditionally been treated with antipsychotic medications, but around 40% of patients do not respond to treatments and 60% experience “inadequate improvement” in symptoms or “intolerable side effects,” studies have shown.

COBENFY is expected to be available in the U.S. in late October, the company noted. (Bristol Myers Squibb)

COBENFY works differently than the currently available schizophrenia medications.

“Due to its heterogeneous nature, schizophrenia is not a one-size-fits-all condition, and people often find themselves in a cycle of discontinuing and switching therapies,” said Rishi Kakar, MD, chief scientific officer and medical director at Segal Trials and investigator in the drug’s clinical trials, in the release. 

“Schizophrenia is not a one-size-fits-all condition, and people often find themselves in a cycle of discontinuing and switching therapies.”

“The approval of COBENFY is a transformative moment in the treatment of schizophrenia because, historically, medicines approved to treat schizophrenia have relied on the same primary pathways in the brain.”

“By leveraging a novel pathway, COBENFY offers a new option to manage this challenging condition.”

“Today’s landmark approval of our first-in-class treatment for schizophrenia marks an important milestone for the community,” said Chris Boerner, PhD, board chair and chief executive officer at Bristol Myers Squibb. (iStock)

Sam Clark, founder and CEO at Terran Biosciences — a biotech company that develops treatments and technologies for neurological and psychiatric diseases in New York City — commented on the new approval in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.

“I am excited that the FDA has just approved [COBENFY] as a treatment for patients with schizophrenia, marking a big leap forward in the psychiatry space,” he said. 

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“These patients live with a difficult disease, and this drug with a novel mechanism of action will surely make a significant impact,” Clark continued. 

“We look forward to seeing the renaissance continue as this approval paves the way for future breakthroughs and novel patient-focused therapeutics.”

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The approval follows three phases of clinical trials in which COBENFY was shown to result in a “statistically significant improvement in illness.”

Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that affects a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors and often causes hallucinations and delusions. (iStock)

In terms of safety, the medication’s most common side effects during clinical trials were nausea, indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, hypertension, abdominal pain, accelerated heart rate, dizziness and gastroesophageal reflux disease, the release stated.

Patients with certain existing medical conditions may experience other, more serious risks.

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People should discuss potential complications with a doctor before starting the medication.

Fox News Digital reached out to Bristol Myers Squibb and the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance requesting comment.

Restful sleep could be a few squats away.

Participating in evening exercise could help promote better rest at night, according to new research published in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.

In particular, short bouts of resistance or strength training at night — including exercises like squats, calf raises and standing knee raises — were found to have a positive impact on sleep quality and quantity.

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In the randomized trial, 28 participants each completed one of two four-hour sessions. 

One consisted of prolonged sitting. In the other session, the participants sat but took breaks every half-hour to complete three minutes of bodyweight resistance exercises.

The regular activity breaks were shown to increase average sleep period time and time spent asleep by nearly 30 minutes.

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The New Zealand-based researchers did not note a significant effect on mean sleep efficiency (the ratio of total sleep time to total time in bed), wake after sleep onset (the total amount of time that a person is awake after having initially fallen asleep) or the number of awakenings during the night.

“Performing bodyweight resistance exercise activity breaks in the evening has the potential to improve sleep period and total sleep time, and does not disrupt other aspects of sleep quality or subsequent 24-hour physical activity,” the researchers concluded.

Health benefits of evening exercise

Sleep expert Dr. Wendy Troxel, a senior behavioral and social scientist at the Rand Corporation in Utah, called this study “really exciting” in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Troxel considered the findings “particularly notable,” as there has been “controversy” surrounding the optimal timing and intensity of exercise in relation to sleep.

Walking in the evening, particularly after dinner, has a plethora of benefits, according to experts. (iStock)

“These are very short bouts of relatively low-intensity physical activity that anyone could do in their evening hours,” she said. “And I think it really speaks to the potential harms of extended periods of sedentary activity.”

“Whether you’re old or young, we see benefits of exercise after dinner in particular.”

Being excessively sedentary comes with a “number of health consequences,” the expert warned, including a 30% increased mortality risk.

“So, this suggests that just little bouts of physical activity in the evening hours, to get you off the couch and moving … could have benefits for your sleep and your health more globally,” Troxel added.

Short breaks of light physical activity leading to better sleep speaks to the “harms of extended periods of sedentary activity,” said a sleep expert. (iStock)

Celebrity personal trainer Kollins Ezekh in Los Angeles confirmed that evening exercise can help promote better sleep by reducing stress and anxiety.

“Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, which naturally helps to calm the mind and body,” he told Fox News Digital.

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Exercising before bedtime can also lower the body’s core temperature, signaling that it’s time for rest, according to the fitness expert.

“Plus, the natural fatigue from a good workout makes it easier to fall asleep,” he added.

In addition to improving sleep, evening exercise can also reduce stress levels, boost metabolism and improve digestion, according to Ezekh.

A personal trainer recommends doing yoga or Pilates in the evening as a way to stretch and relax before bedtime. (iStock)

Troxel agreed that engaging in small exercise breaks can tire out the body without causing pain or overstimulation.

“It helps to prepare your body and your brain by reducing stress and expending some energy for a good night’s sleep,” she said.

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Small bouts of activity will also help the brain separate pre-bedtime activities from actual bedtime, she added.

“If you’re just sitting on the couch doing nothing for hours prior to bedtime, it’s hard for the brain to distinguish, ‘OK, bed is the time for real rest and restoration,” she said.

The best exercises for nighttime

To avoid overstimulation, Ezekh recommends choosing low- to moderate-intensity exercises in the evening.

These might include yoga or Pilates that focus on mindful breathing, stretching and relaxation, “which can help you unwind before bed,” he said, as well as light cardio.

“Keeping the intensity moderate ensures that your body can relax into sleep rather than being wired,” Ezekh said. (iStock)

“A brisk walk or easy cycling can help burn off energy without making you too energized before sleep,” the trainer added.

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Bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges or push-ups are also a great option, Ezekh said.

“Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, which naturally helps to calm the mind and body.”

Dr. Tina Sadarangani, nurse practitioner and assistant professor at the NYU College of Nursing, told Fox News Digital that everyone should engage in low-impact exercise, like brisk walks, after the last meal of the day.

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“Whether you’re old or young, we see benefits of exercise after dinner in particular,” she said. 

“We get steadier blood sugar, smoother digestion and a happier mood, and I can’t think of a single population that wouldn’t benefit from that.”

An expert suggests that everyone should engage in low-impact exercise before bed. (iStock)

In addition to movement before bed, Sadarangani recommends avoiding screen exposure before bedtime, along with stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, or tobacco and nicotine products.

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It’s also important to create an environment that’s conducive to slumber, she added. 

“We have to give our bodies the signal that it’s time to sleep.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the study researchers for comment.