'I"m a neurosurgeon — here's what alcohol does to the body'
Following the U.S. surgeon general’s new advisory warning of alcohol’s link to multiple cancers, a Florida neurosurgeon said, "It’s about time."
Dr. Brett Osborn, who also runs a longevity practice, applauded the new guidance, stating that alcohol is a toxin.
"We've known this for eons — this is nothing new," Osborn told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview.
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Dr. Vivek Murthy released the advisory on Friday following research that has linked alcohol to at least seven types of cancer.
In particular, Murthy warned that alcohol can increase the risk of throat, liver, esophageal, mouth, larynx (voice box), colon and rectal cancers.
"I know the age-old adage that you can have a drink or two a day and it's good for your heart — no, it’s not," Osborn said.
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"It's not good for your heart. It's not good for your brain. It's not good for your waistline."
Alcohol can contribute to obesity, the doctor noted, which is a "gateway disease" to a multitude of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
"Anything that alcohol touches — your throat, your larynx, your esophagus, your stomach, your bowels, rectum — those are all being exposed to a toxin," Osborn stated.
Alcohol causes oxidative damage, the doctor warned, which is when "free radicals" damage cells, tissues and DNA and lead to cancer formation.
In Osborn’s neurosurgery practice, he has seen firsthand the effects of alcohol on the brain.
"We know that people who drink have bad brains," he said. "I actually operated on one two days ago."
In that case, a patient with alcoholism came to the hospital after sustaining a bad fall. The man had a large blood clot on the surface of the brain, requiring emergency surgery.
"By virtue of the fact that he is an alcoholic … he's going to do poorly," Osborn shared. "These patients, just in general, their organ systems in general, they're dysfunctional, they're malfunctioning. And ultimately, it portends to a bad outcome."
To patients currently drinking alcohol, Osborn said they don’t have to stop "cold turkey."
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"I get it. I respect the fact that this is part of your culture and your social life."
"But in the next year or so, can we knock it down by 50%? And then at the year mark, I tell them, OK, now another 50%, and gradually just taper off."
According to Osborn, someone who consistently drinks more than one drink per day qualifies as an alcoholic.
"You are, to a degree, dependent upon it," he said.
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"I don't want it in my practice. I don't want it for my patients. I don't use it myself. It's bad. Get rid of it."