31/12/2025
🫢 The biggest health shift of 2026 may not be the one you expect.
Reducing alcohol consistently shows up across oncology, cardiology, psychiatry, and sports medicine because it affects far more than the liver.
Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen. For cancer risk, no clearly safe lower threshold has been established. Current guidelines reduce risk, but they do not eliminate it.
In the short term, alcohol disrupts sleep, recovery, mood, and glucose control. Over time, it interferes with muscle adaptation, fat loss, cardiometabolic health, and increases the risk of injury, violence, and preventable disease.
This is not about perfection or judgement. For many people, difficulty moderating alcohol reflects physiology and environment, not character.
For 2026, the most effective health decision for many will be drinking less, drinking deliberately, or not drinking at all.
This content is general information only and not personal medical advice. If alcohol is affecting your health, relationships, or safety, speak with your GP or a qualified health professional.
In Australia, confidential support is available via the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015.
If you are in immediate danger, seek urgent help
I’m Dr Zac. Happy New Year and go long
Zx
