1 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Hey bessies, Hello Sunshine. 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 2: Today on the bright side, the Surgeon General just released 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 2: an advisory that links alcohol to seven different types of cancer. 4 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: So what does that mean for all of us? 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,959 Speaker 2: Substance abuse expert doctor Rachel Saco Adams is here with 6 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 2: everything we need to know before taking our next sip. 7 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 3: Ooh, and we can't wait to break it all down 8 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 3: for y'all. It is Wednesday, February fifth. I'm Simone Voice. 9 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 2: I'm Danielle Robe and this is the bright side from 10 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 2: Hello Sunshine, Simone. It's a new month, which means it's 11 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 2: time for a new pick for Reese's Book Club. 12 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 3: Yes, and February's RBC pick is Isola by Allegra Goodman. 13 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 3: So Isla has been described as an epic of love, 14 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 3: faith and defiance, and it tells the story of Marguerite, 15 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 3: who is an heir to a fortune and she becomes 16 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 3: orphaned and soon finds herself on this expedition with her guardian. 17 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 3: But things take a turn when Marguerite is accused of 18 00:00:56,680 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 3: betrayal and winds up punished and abandoned on any island. 19 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 3: We will be speaking with author Alegra Goodman about this 20 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 3: book later this month. So be sure to stay tuned 21 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 3: for that conversation. 22 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 2: I just saw Reese Witherspoon post that this is one 23 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 2: of her favorite historical fiction reads yet, and you can 24 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 2: imagine how much Reese reads, so for her to say this, 25 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 2: I just really want. 26 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: To read this book. Yeah that's high praise. Yeah, high praise. 27 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 3: Right. 28 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: Okay, Simon, are you a dry January girl? 29 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:25,919 Speaker 3: You know I have done dry January in the past. 30 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,360 Speaker 3: I found it to be so transformative. I actually stopped 31 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 3: drinking for about two years because of Dry January. Wow, 32 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 3: I felt so good. I was like, I don't really 33 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 3: need this in my life anymore. Eventually I worked it 34 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 3: back in in moderation, and that's where I'm at now. 35 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:41,759 Speaker 3: I've been on vacation for a few days and I've 36 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 3: had some drinks with friends, and yeah, just moderation. 37 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: How about you? One month turned into twenty four that's wild. Yeah. 38 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 4: Yeah. 39 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: I kind of go in phases sometimes. 40 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: I if I'm like going out more, I like to 41 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 2: to have a glass. But I've been working a lot lately, 42 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 2: so so alcohol has not been on my mind. But 43 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: the idea of drinking and how it affects us has 44 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 2: been on my mind because the Surgeon General's Office released 45 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 2: a pretty shocking advisory about alcohol consumption and cancer risk 46 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 2: on January third, and a lot of us understand that 47 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,799 Speaker 2: there are risks associated with drinking. I certainly never thought 48 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,920 Speaker 2: of alcohol as a superfood, but I was really surprised 49 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:27,080 Speaker 2: to learn about the direct link that they found between 50 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 2: alcohol and seven different types of cancer mouth, throat, breast, liver, 51 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 2: and colon cancers. And this warning got everybody talking because 52 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 2: I think we all don't know exactly what the true 53 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 2: risks are, what we should be worried about, how to 54 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 2: manage the risk when we do drink. There's just like 55 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: a lot of questions left up in the air. 56 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 4: For sure. 57 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 3: And the thing is, so many social, professional, even romantic 58 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 3: situations revolve around drinking. I was just talking about this 59 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 3: with my friend because I was just at a conference 60 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 3: and we went to one of those conference mixers and 61 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 3: just impulsively, instinctually, I just needed to have a drink 62 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 3: in my hand because it made me feel, I don't know, 63 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 3: maybe like I was a part of something or kind 64 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 3: of assuage some like it kind of helped me with 65 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 3: my social anxiety a bit. So I think this is 66 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 3: really an opportunity to rethink our relationship with alcohol, particularly 67 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 3: if you're in the thirty five to forty year old 68 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 3: age group as a woman, because that age group is 69 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 3: at the highest risk for binge drinking and alcohol use disorder, 70 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 3: which is actually something that I just learned. So today 71 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 3: we're bringing it all down with doctor Rachel Saco Adams. 72 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 3: She is a substance abuse researcher with a focus on 73 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 3: alcohol and she's also a professor at Boston University School 74 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 3: of Public Health. 75 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm so curious to see what she has to say. 76 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 2: We have so many questions, so let's bring her in, 77 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 2: Doctor Rachel Seico Adams. 78 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to the bright Side. 79 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 4: Thank you for having me. 80 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: Rachel. We are so glad that you are here. 81 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 3: You are an essential voice on the podcast today because 82 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 3: we've been wanting to get a deeper understanding of the 83 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 3: Surgeon General's advisory about alcohol consumption and the link to cancer. 84 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 3: Everyone is freaking out about this. What is the top 85 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 3: line takeaway that we should be paying attention to. 86 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,320 Speaker 5: I think the Surgeon General's guidance essentially sums up something 87 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 5: that we've known for a while, but I think is 88 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,159 Speaker 5: not common knowledge in the United states is that alcohol 89 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 5: is a carcinogen. There's a causal link between alcohol consumption 90 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:33,360 Speaker 5: and seven different types of cancers. And I think that information, unfortunately, 91 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 5: is new for a lot of people, and it's also 92 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 5: feels scary. 93 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 3: This feels like a real turning point, or it feels 94 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 3: like we've reached a critical mass in awareness around this, 95 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 3: because obviously we all know that alcohol is not good 96 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 3: for us. You know, we drink it for various different reasons, 97 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 3: to help with social awkwardness, to celebrate. It's become this 98 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 3: huge celebratory aspect of our culture. And so I'm I'm 99 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 3: sitting here listening to you share these findings, and I'm 100 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 3: just thinking about how this could really reshape society if 101 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 3: people actually start to pay attention to this, right. 102 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 5: I think for a long time, most people when they 103 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 5: think about risks from alcohol, they think about the more 104 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 5: immediate risks of like I'm not going to feel well, 105 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 5: I'm going to feel sick the next day, i might 106 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,159 Speaker 5: have a hangover. You know, we all think of the 107 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 5: obvious risk of developing addiction. But I think a lot 108 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 5: of us think if we can just control the way 109 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 5: we drink, or we can handle our liquor we drink reasonably, 110 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 5: that's not going to happen to me. So those are 111 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 5: the things that people have been very focused on. Even 112 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 5: in the addiction research world, we've been focused on, you know, 113 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 5: preventing injuries, preventing you know, reducing harm from sexual assaults 114 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 5: or car accidents. There hasn't been as much attention on 115 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 5: risk for developing cancer, which I think a lot of 116 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 5: people might think is like a downstream risk, but I 117 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 5: think most people actually didn't even know that it's a 118 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:02,880 Speaker 5: potential risk associated with alcohol use. 119 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 2: The advisory outlines a number of ways alcohol causes cancer. 120 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 2: For example, I read that it can alter levels of 121 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,279 Speaker 2: hormones in the body, and that change in hormone levels 122 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,000 Speaker 2: can cause cancer. Is that correct? 123 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,560 Speaker 5: Yes, So specifically for breast cancer, what they think is 124 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 5: one of the contributing risk factors is that alcohol consumption 125 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 5: can alter your hormone levels, specifically estrogen, and that is 126 00:06:26,839 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 5: known to increase risk for breast cancer. So specifically that 127 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 5: I think is playing a role in development of breast cancer. 128 00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 3: Is there any amount that is tolerable for the human body? 129 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 3: Is there any amount that is like if you stay 130 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 3: within this range, you're going to significantly reduce your risk 131 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 3: of cancer. 132 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 5: So this gets at the Surgeon General's report, so I 133 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,880 Speaker 5: think we should talk more about this specifically. The US 134 00:06:55,920 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 5: dietary guidelines right now for the past years have recommended 135 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 5: did no more than one drink per day for women 136 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,680 Speaker 5: and no more than two drinks per day for men, 137 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 5: and they have essentially there's been a reason to believe 138 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 5: that if you stay within these limits that your risk 139 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 5: for developing adverse health problems will be you know, that's 140 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 5: sort of the safe level. I think what we're learning 141 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 5: now and what supported the development of this report, is 142 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 5: that there is no actual safe level of alcohol use. 143 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 5: So any level of alcohol use is associated with an 144 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 5: increased risk for cancer, specifically three kinds breast cancer, throat 145 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 5: and mouth cancer. However, what I think is the good 146 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 5: news is that the less alcohol you have, your risk 147 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 5: is lowered for those types of cancer. So it's not 148 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 5: like any or none. Essentially that the more alcohol you 149 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 5: consume your risk for these types of cancers may increase. 150 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 5: I could talk in numbers which might illuminate the risk. 151 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,560 Speaker 5: So for women over their life, the absolute risk developing 152 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 5: breast cancer is eleven and one hundred, so eleven and 153 00:08:03,440 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 5: one hundred women will develop breast cancer. 154 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 4: For women who are. 155 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 5: Drinking two or more drinks per day, that increases for 156 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 5: fifteen women out of one hundred would be diagnosed with 157 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 5: breast cancer. So the risk is increasing slightly. However, I 158 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 5: think any woman who's evaluating how they want to take 159 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 5: this information and use it to make choices about their 160 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 5: alcohol use also would want to consider family history and 161 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 5: other factors that might affect the risk for breast cancer, 162 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 5: such as density of breast age, family history. 163 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 1: Again, why are we just talking about this now? 164 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 5: I have some different ideas on that. I mean, I 165 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 5: think that from what I've learned that the data supporting 166 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 5: alcohol being associated with increased risk for breast cancer has 167 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 5: been known since the nineteen eighties. I think since then 168 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 5: there's been mounting evidence to support this information. However, it's 169 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 5: first of all, it's not information that's welcomed. People don't 170 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,520 Speaker 5: really want to know this. This is a story that 171 00:09:04,080 --> 00:09:09,120 Speaker 5: is upsetting, and it's in relation to a substance that's 172 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 5: legal and that is part of our culture and all 173 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 5: sorts of happy and sad rituals and customs. And I 174 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 5: think that being able to share information like this in 175 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 5: a way that is believable requires decades of really strong 176 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,079 Speaker 5: research to support it. So I think the evidence has 177 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,000 Speaker 5: been coming out over the past several decades, and now 178 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 5: it's strong enough that the Surgeon General would make this 179 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:41,079 Speaker 5: recommendation to add these warning labels to alcoholic beverages. 180 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,920 Speaker 3: You said something earlier, Rachel, that I think we have 181 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 3: to just we have to drive home this point. Up 182 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 3: until now, up until the findings of this study, we 183 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 3: were under the assumption that, you know, maybe about one 184 00:09:55,040 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 3: drink a day was acceptable. But now after this, any 185 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 3: amount of alcohol is carcinogenic. 186 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 5: I think that within the five past five or ten years, 187 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 5: we've known this information and it has been discussed, but 188 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 5: I think it's not been talked about so definitively. And 189 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 5: I think the fact that this report came out making 190 00:10:17,520 --> 00:10:21,079 Speaker 5: this recommendation for warning labels really sort of changes the game. 191 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 5: And it's drawing a lot of attention to the issue. 192 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 5: And part of it is that perhaps the information was there, 193 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 5: but it just wasn't being focused on enough. 194 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:34,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, I was interested to learn about the difference between 195 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 2: men and women developing a risk in cancer. Women who 196 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 2: have one drink a day have a nineteen percent risk 197 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 2: of developing cancer, whereas men who have one drink per 198 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 2: day have an eleven percent risk of cancer. What is 199 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 2: the difference. Where's the disparity. 200 00:10:49,920 --> 00:10:51,360 Speaker 4: It's the link to breast cancer. 201 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 5: So, because breast cancer is one of the types of 202 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:59,559 Speaker 5: cancers that's known to be causally associated with alcohol use 203 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 5: breast answer just affects women predominantly, so that therein lies 204 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 5: why this is probably more serious for women, the stakes 205 00:11:07,040 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 5: are higher. 206 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 2: Wow. 207 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 3: So, Rachel, when we talk about how alcohol affects us 208 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 3: at different ages, what does this study tell us about 209 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 3: the relationship between alcohol and aging for women? 210 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,440 Speaker 5: We know that your risk for developing breast cancer increases 211 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:28,720 Speaker 5: as you age, and it also increases for women who 212 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 5: haven't had children by age thirty. 213 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 3: Wait, what really something about being pregnant does something to 214 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 3: lower cancero us. 215 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 5: Yes, there are just different things that affect your hormones 216 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 5: that can affect development of breast cancer. So as you age, 217 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 5: you're just more likely to be identified as someone with 218 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:50,559 Speaker 5: breast cancer as you get older. I mean, one thing 219 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 5: we're learning is that as you age, your body sort 220 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 5: of processes alcohol slower. So that might be why when 221 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:00,280 Speaker 5: you're in your thirties and forties, you're like, oh, why 222 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 5: is it that when I'm having one drink now, I 223 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 5: already feel really tipsy. 224 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 4: I don't feel well. 225 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 5: I'm sort of you know, you're feeling very differently than 226 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 5: you might have felt in college when you had a 227 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 5: couple drinks. What is happening is that your liver is 228 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 5: metabolizing the alcohol slower and it's staying in your body longer. 229 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,800 Speaker 5: Another thing to think about in terms of alcohol use 230 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 5: for women in their thirties and forties is this is 231 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 5: like sort of the prime of reproductive age or even 232 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 5: even in your twenties, and we know that alcohol can 233 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 5: you know, any level of alcohol is potentially harmful for 234 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 5: developing fetus. So if women are thinking about being pregnant 235 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 5: or trying to conceive, you know, alcohol during any phase 236 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:45,640 Speaker 5: of pregnancy can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder risks. 237 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 5: It can increase risk for a miscarriage. So it's just 238 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 5: important to think about that, you know, as you're consuming alcohol, 239 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 5: if you're thinking about trying to get pregnant. 240 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 3: And what about menopause, can you tell us about what 241 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:01,960 Speaker 3: happened when we drink alcohol during menopause and how that 242 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 3: affects cancer risk. 243 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 5: When women are premenopausal are going through menopause, we know 244 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 5: that alcohol can really make symptoms worse of that process, 245 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 5: so it can increase hot flashes, night sweats, disrupted sleep, irritability, 246 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,560 Speaker 5: changes in mood. That time is a time where your 247 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 5: hormones are naturally changing a lot, which increases your risks 248 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:28,640 Speaker 5: for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, weight gain, and it's believed that 249 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 5: if you're consuming a lot of alcohol, you're going to 250 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:33,000 Speaker 5: have a harder time storm managing your weight, which can 251 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:35,720 Speaker 5: also contribute to development of those other conditions. 252 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: Do the long term health effects of alcohol differ for 253 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: occasional drinkers or heavy drinkers. 254 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 5: Yes, for sure. I mean your risk is higher the 255 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:50,719 Speaker 5: more you drink. So if you're someone who's consuming alcohol 256 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 5: every day, or you drink three four times a week, 257 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 5: but you're having four or five drinks on each occasion, 258 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:02,960 Speaker 5: your risks are much greater in terms of adverse health outcomes, 259 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 5: and also your risk for developing cancer is higher. 260 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 3: We've got to take a quick break, but we'll be 261 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 3: right back to wellness Wednesday with doctor Rachel Sego Atoms 262 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 3: And we're back with doctor Rachel Sego Atoms. I know 263 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 3: that you've done some really insightful research on alcohol and 264 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 3: millennial women. What have you discovered about the ways that 265 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 3: we consume alcohol, how alcohol is marketed to us, and 266 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 3: how this whole dynamic has really evolved over time. 267 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 5: So I've done a lot of thinking and work with 268 00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 5: colleagues thinking about the way alcohol is sort of portrayed 269 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 5: to us as women of what i'll call middle age, 270 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 5: So you know that spans millennials and you know some 271 00:14:56,680 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 5: Gen xers as well. But I think that there's been 272 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 5: a real shift over the past decade or so in 273 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 5: terms of first social media coming onto the scene and 274 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 5: what social media has created a place where we sort 275 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 5: of are able to talk about alcohol a lot and 276 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 5: share information, and alcohol is presented in social media from 277 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 5: our peers and used as you know, it's lots of jokes, 278 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 5: lots of memes. 279 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 3: Emmy wine culture, mommy wine, the signs at hobby lobby 280 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 3: and home goods. I mean, mommy wine culture is inescapable. 281 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 5: It is, And so we've done some thinking about like, 282 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,080 Speaker 5: is there any potential risk of that. I mean, it's 283 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 5: meant to be a joke, it's meant to be funny, 284 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 5: but it's also promoting this this idea that women who 285 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 5: are struggling, perhaps with motherhood and it's like exhausting and 286 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 5: tiring and hard and feels isolating, that what we should 287 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 5: do at the end of the day is you know, 288 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 5: turn to a glass of wine and that that's going 289 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,680 Speaker 5: to make our problems. That's going to make us feel better. 290 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 5: We deserve it and it's going to help. And in fact, 291 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 5: like a woman in that situation who's struggling and rightly so, 292 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:11,920 Speaker 5: exhausted and tired and stressed, alcohol probably will make that 293 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 5: night in the next morning harder because alcohol disrupts sleep, 294 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 5: Alcohol can increase feelings of anxiety or depression. Alcohol can 295 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 5: make you more irritable. So you know, once in a while, 296 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 5: that's fine, probably, but if that's what you're doing repeatedly, 297 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 5: that's that's not going to be helpful. So we've thought 298 00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 5: a lot about just those messages and how we need 299 00:16:37,800 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 5: to try to bring in different, different information into the conversation. 300 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 4: I think we. 301 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 5: Can't ignore the alcohol marketing and how there's been a 302 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 5: real shift and an explosion of products really that are 303 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 5: targeting women. There's pink drinks, you know, rose has become 304 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 5: extremely popular. We talk about rose all day. We have 305 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 5: low calorie selzers and products and drinks that are all new, 306 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 5: and those are targeting women predominantly, and all of that 307 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 5: I think is playing a role in exposure. And I 308 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 5: think that you know, people ask me a lot like 309 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 5: how is it different than forty fifty years ago? Like 310 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 5: women there were social pressures to use alcohol then too, 311 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 5: But I think when you think about what's happening with 312 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 5: social media and marketing today, those are some new factors 313 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 5: that have come in that have potentially really changed things. 314 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 4: Yeah. 315 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 3: Completely, As a mom who is very intimately familiar with 316 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 3: that feeling of like I have no one to talk to, 317 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:44,200 Speaker 3: no one cares about me and my needs, I'm gonna 318 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 3: I'm on the verge of a breakdown in those moments, 319 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 3: the cheaper, easier fix is, you know, a glass of 320 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 3: wine or you know, whatever it may be that might 321 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:59,160 Speaker 3: be unhealthy, because unfortunately, the healthier fix, like let's say, 322 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,200 Speaker 3: hiring a mental health professional to talk to them, that's 323 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 3: so much more expensive than you know, attend dollar bottle 324 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 3: of wine. So I feel like we need to just 325 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 3: get our priorities and check and provide women who are 326 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 3: struggling with some of these things that you're talking about 327 00:18:13,560 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 3: with resources that can actually help us. 328 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:18,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, and I think one of the things we can 329 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 5: do is help each other out. So I think that 330 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 5: part of this and part of what's so helpful about 331 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 5: this new Surgeon General report is we can start talking 332 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 5: about it a little bit more, and we can start 333 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 5: thinking about our friends and our peers and know that, 334 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 5: you know, maybe one of the best things we can 335 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 5: do is when we're when we're together, when we're holding 336 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 5: a social gathering and event that we can just normalize 337 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 5: like we're going to have, you know, we'll have alcoholic drinks, 338 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 5: but we're also going to have some fun non alcoholic 339 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 5: drinks and just acknowledging that, like people might not always 340 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 5: want to have a journey and that's okay. But if 341 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:03,879 Speaker 5: we don't like put it out there that this is 342 00:19:03,920 --> 00:19:07,239 Speaker 5: a choice and we all have like the right and 343 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 5: we maybe should be reflecting on our alcohol use, then 344 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:12,639 Speaker 5: it's just going to kind of continue where you go 345 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:14,199 Speaker 5: to an event, you go out to dinner with your 346 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,720 Speaker 5: friends and everybody's ordering drinks and you feel really awkward 347 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:18,239 Speaker 5: if you're not. 348 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:22,399 Speaker 3: That is such a good point that women have an 349 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 3: opportunity to come alongside one another with this information and 350 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,040 Speaker 3: be each other's support system. 351 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 5: I think so, And it's hard. I mean, we talk 352 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:37,280 Speaker 5: about peer pressure for adolescents and college students with substances 353 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 5: with alcohol, but I think it is so real with 354 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,440 Speaker 5: women and women in their twenties and thirties and forties. 355 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,239 Speaker 5: It's hard to be the person that's going to not 356 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 5: choose to drink because there's a lot of fears associated 357 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,040 Speaker 5: with that. You think that, you know, maybe your friends 358 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:58,199 Speaker 5: will think you're judging them, or that people will assume 359 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 5: that you have a problem that you're you know, you can't. 360 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 5: Why is she not drinking? She might you know, is 361 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 5: she in recovery? You might burn friendships. So it's it's not. 362 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:14,120 Speaker 1: Easy, simone. Are you wanting to cut alcohol out entirely 363 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: from your life? 364 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 3: No, I'm not planning to. I actually have in the past. 365 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:23,119 Speaker 3: I stopped drinking for about two years and it was great, 366 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 3: but I found a way to work it back into 367 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 3: my life. That feels like a healthy level of moderation 368 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:31,119 Speaker 3: for me. How about you. 369 00:20:31,359 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: I don't want to cut it out entirely either. 370 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 2: I think most people are probably in the same lane. 371 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:44,240 Speaker 2: As we are, so I'm curious if there is anything 372 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 2: that people like us should really be keeping in mind 373 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 2: in order to partake in a way that is as 374 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 2: healthy as possible. You know. 375 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 5: One of the things that I started thinking about all 376 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 5: of this was in twenty nineteen, the book Sober Curious 377 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 5: came out by Ruby Arrington, and it's sort of I 378 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 5: think one of the take home premises from that is 379 00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 5: just reevaluating your relationship with alcohol, which might mean you 380 00:21:09,320 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 5: want to still continue drinking at times, but maybe not 381 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:14,919 Speaker 5: as much, and just be more thoughtful about when you 382 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 5: want to drink and why. So I would encourage anyone 383 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 5: really to perhaps for a period of time keep like 384 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 5: a journal about just record when you're drinking and why, 385 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,719 Speaker 5: and who you're with, if you're alone, and how you 386 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 5: feel after if you're you know, you have any regret 387 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 5: or you think that that was a good experience, just 388 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:39,719 Speaker 5: to learn more about when you're drinking and why. And 389 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 5: then I think that there's a lot of optimism about 390 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:47,800 Speaker 5: these new non alcoholic products that have entered the market 391 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:49,959 Speaker 5: and how you're starting to see them more at regular 392 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 5: grocery stores and in restaurants and at Fenway Park in Boston, 393 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 5: you know. I mean they have these non alcoholic beers, 394 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 5: they have non alcoholic drinks. 395 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 4: They've really and they're quite good. 396 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 3: And they're sober bars too, they're sobertail. 397 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:05,040 Speaker 2: You know. 398 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:08,360 Speaker 5: That movement started really strong actually right before COVID hit, 399 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 5: and COVID sort of like halted it pretty clearly. And 400 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 5: then a lot of women in particular turned to alcohol 401 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 5: during COVID for different reasons. But what I've seen is 402 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 5: a positive thing is now some people women and men 403 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,480 Speaker 5: who are you know, would maybe have three four drinks 404 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 5: in a night, are having one or two and then 405 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 5: they're switching to the non alcoholic drink for the rest 406 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 5: of the night. 407 00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a nice option. 408 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:32,280 Speaker 3: You know. 409 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 5: Just having these these types of products around in your 410 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,199 Speaker 5: house is a choice. So it's it's not really it 411 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,959 Speaker 5: doesn't have to be all or nothing for most people. 412 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:45,200 Speaker 5: And I think as you experiment and try different things 413 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 5: over time, you might you might continue to evolve and 414 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 5: think differently about it. 415 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:50,760 Speaker 4: And that's all. Okay. 416 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 2: One of the things that I think I've seen done 417 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:57,600 Speaker 2: really well, my mom actually does it. She makes non 418 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 2: alcoholic seltzer water really fun. She cuts up a ton 419 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 2: of fruit and berries and like makes the glass look 420 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 2: really enticing and fun, and so people at parties, I think, 421 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:11,040 Speaker 2: feel more comfortable holding it and drinking it because it 422 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 2: feels like an experience right, just the way like an 423 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 2: alcoholic Drick does. The one thing that I can tell 424 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,119 Speaker 2: you I've personally struggled with in this vein is the 425 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 2: social pressure around it all. Because when I was younger 426 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:25,360 Speaker 2: and I would go out to work drinks or even 427 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 2: on a date and I would say, oh, I'll have, 428 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 2: you know, a Seltzer water with lime or a diet 429 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,760 Speaker 2: coke or whatever it is. People would be like, oh, 430 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 2: you're no fun, or come on, you have to have 431 00:23:38,359 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 2: one with me. And as I've gotten older, it's gotten 432 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:45,919 Speaker 2: easier to not give in to that pressure, but I 433 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,679 Speaker 2: really still find it challenging if I'm being honest, because 434 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 2: I don't want to be looked at as if I'm 435 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 2: not fun. 436 00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 5: Yeah, of course, I mean I think there's a few 437 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,160 Speaker 5: things that can help, And if you're going to meet 438 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 5: a group, I think it helps to have something in 439 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 5: your hand. People are uncomfortable when you're standing there with 440 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 5: nothing in your hand. You're like making someone else uncomfortable, 441 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 5: which is crazy, but you know, so if you can 442 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 5: get there first, or you have a friend that knows 443 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 5: you're not drinking to just someone can grab you a soda, 444 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 5: water and lime, or you know, a non alcoholic drink 445 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 5: put in a regular glass, so maybe you're not drawing 446 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 5: attention to the fact that what you're drinking is non alcoholic. 447 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 5: I think that those are great things. I think the 448 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 5: date situation can be very tricky. I've talked to friends 449 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,439 Speaker 5: who the same thing. It's it's really hard to go 450 00:24:36,520 --> 00:24:40,360 Speaker 5: on new dates with people and not want to order 451 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 5: alcohol because then you think that they are making judgments 452 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,959 Speaker 5: about you. I've witnessed people handle that different ways, and 453 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:50,359 Speaker 5: I think what tends to work best is just honesty, 454 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 5: being like practicing, and being more comfortable to just say, 455 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,440 Speaker 5: I'm getting this type of drink, and you know what, 456 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 5: You don't have to make an excuse. You really don't, 457 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:03,800 Speaker 5: but if you want to, you can just say, you know, 458 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 5: I'm getting this type of drink I really like it, 459 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 5: or I have a big meeting tomorrow. 460 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 4: You know you can. 461 00:25:10,280 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 5: You can make up a reason and the reasons are 462 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:13,399 Speaker 5: probably all true. 463 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 3: You can send them a link to this episode. 464 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, one of my best friends has a joke with me. 465 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 2: She will always be like, because I trained for a 466 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 2: triathlon at one point, and so I really was not drinking. 467 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:27,840 Speaker 1: And that was years ago. 468 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,359 Speaker 2: And so now if I'm not drinking and we're all 469 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,080 Speaker 2: out together, my friend'll be like, oh, Danielle's training for 470 00:25:33,119 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 2: a triathalone. 471 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:34,680 Speaker 4: You can't drink. 472 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,440 Speaker 1: She's always training, right. 473 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 2: It's like people don't yell at you if you're like, oh, 474 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:42,120 Speaker 2: I'm training for a ten k, that's right. Yeah. 475 00:25:42,160 --> 00:25:42,400 Speaker 4: I mean. 476 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 5: My friend said to me once and here, I am 477 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,480 Speaker 5: an alcohol researcher and I've been studying this for about 478 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 5: almost twenty years. And I was going to a conference, 479 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 5: an international conference about five years ago or something, and 480 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:57,160 Speaker 5: I said to my friend, and this was a time 481 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 5: I was trying to just really be present and reduce 482 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:04,479 Speaker 5: my own alcohol, but realizing how uncomfortable I meet other people. 483 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:07,200 Speaker 5: And I said, you know, I don't I don't really 484 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,640 Speaker 5: want to drink, but it's so hard in these situations 485 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 5: because it's such a big part of the community. And 486 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 5: she was like, Rachel, I just don't believe anyone should 487 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 5: drink if you don't want to, Like, you should never 488 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,360 Speaker 5: drink a drink when you don't want to, and that 489 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:26,119 Speaker 5: like very simple statement was so profound to me. I thought, like, 490 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,439 Speaker 5: of course, of course you shouldn't drink this, Like you 491 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 5: don't have to drink an alcoholic beverage if you don't 492 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 5: want to. 493 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,960 Speaker 4: I'm an adult, I study this, but it's hard. 494 00:26:36,760 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 3: And I think we can also be an advocate for 495 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 3: the people in our friend group who aren't drinking and 496 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 3: kind of step in and say, hey, she's you know, 497 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,160 Speaker 3: she's not drinking tonight, and that's her choice, Like let's 498 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 3: move on. Yes, I think that we can kind of 499 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 3: support our friends in that way. 500 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:54,640 Speaker 2: It's time for another short break. We'll be right back 501 00:26:54,680 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 2: with doctor Rachel Saco Adams and we're back to wellness 502 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 2: Wednesday with doctor Rachel saco Atoms. 503 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:09,960 Speaker 3: Okay, Rachel, we'd love for you to set the record 504 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 3: straight on some common alcohol anecdotes. 505 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 4: Son, Will you tell. 506 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:17,639 Speaker 3: Us if these are fact or fiction? It was conventional 507 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:19,560 Speaker 3: wisdom for a long time that a glass of red 508 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 3: wine every day is good for your heart. Is that true? 509 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 3: If not, why has this been so misconstrued for so long? 510 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:27,760 Speaker 4: That is not true. 511 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 5: It was believed for a period of time, and the 512 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:34,720 Speaker 5: research world has struggled with this, and. 513 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:35,919 Speaker 4: I'll explain why. 514 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 5: The idea that low level drinking like that was good 515 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 5: for you has to do with the way that studies 516 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 5: were set up. So essentially, the researchers were looking at 517 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 5: people who drank sort of low levels of alcohol in 518 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 5: comparing them to people who completely abstained who didn't drink 519 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:56,160 Speaker 5: any alcohol, and then looking at health outcomes like development 520 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:01,240 Speaker 5: of cardiovascular risk or other types of health outcomes mortality risk. 521 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:04,520 Speaker 5: But the problem with that design is that a lot 522 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 5: of the people who weren't drinking anything were already struggling 523 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,919 Speaker 5: with health problems, so they were a sicker population. So 524 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 5: that made them look like it made it look like 525 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,600 Speaker 5: the people drinking low levels of alcohol were you know, 526 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,000 Speaker 5: having improved health. But in actuality, it had to do 527 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 5: with the comparison group. So now they've started to do 528 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 5: studies where they're looking at, you know, the comparison group 529 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 5: is people who drink just really infrequently, and they're realizing 530 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 5: that those potential health benefits don't really play out anymore. 531 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 3: Okay, next one, Tequila is quote unquote the healthiest liquor. 532 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 3: We've heard that it's better for you than darker liquors. 533 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 3: Are there any forms of alcohol that are actually healthier 534 00:28:47,000 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 3: than other ones? 535 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:53,560 Speaker 5: No, All alcohol has the same alcohol molecule in it, 536 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 5: so it has the same association and risk for development 537 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 5: of these cancers, So there's no real difference. I think 538 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 5: that's really just a myth. I mean, there's no What 539 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 5: you should pay attention to, though, is alcohol content within 540 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,360 Speaker 5: drinks and sort of drink sizes. So you know, if 541 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 5: you pay attention to this, like no more than one 542 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 5: drink per day. For wine, that's like five ounces of wine. 543 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 5: But if you have an enormous wine glass and you 544 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:22,440 Speaker 5: have a very heavy pore from your friend, I mean, 545 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 5: one glass might actually be equivalent to two glasses. So 546 00:29:26,600 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 5: you got to think about that when you're choosing what 547 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:32,600 Speaker 5: drinks you're going to have and paying attention that, like, 548 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 5: actually the size of the bottle or the alcohol content 549 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:39,440 Speaker 5: in the beer, for instance, does actually change the amount 550 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:40,640 Speaker 5: of alcohol you're ingesting. 551 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,760 Speaker 2: How about drinking during the day is better than drinking 552 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 2: at night because it doesn't affect your sleep, true or false? 553 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 5: I mean I think that for people who've drank a 554 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 5: lot during the day, they get really tired later in 555 00:29:57,360 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 5: the day usually and then are exhausted. It can be 556 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 5: hard to sort. You're still metabolizing the alcohol, and you're 557 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:07,200 Speaker 5: going to go through the same processes, and you're going 558 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 5: to be dehydrated probably around the time like you need 559 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 5: to start going to bed regular time, So I think 560 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:18,400 Speaker 5: that you're still probably going to have interrupted sleep that evening. 561 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 2: Lastly, mixing alcohol is worse for you than staying with 562 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 2: the same one all night. 563 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 5: I think that perhaps that is true that you might 564 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 5: feel worse when you're mixing lots of different things together, 565 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:36,320 Speaker 5: but it also probably could have to do with the 566 00:30:36,360 --> 00:30:40,479 Speaker 5: fact that you're just ingesting a lot of alcohol, and 567 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:42,040 Speaker 5: so the more different types you. 568 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 4: Have means you've had a lot and you just might 569 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 4: not feel well the next day. 570 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 2: Doctor Seco Adams, this has been so interesting and informative. 571 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,800 Speaker 1: Thank you for sharing your time and your knowledge with us. 572 00:30:54,200 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 4: Thanks for having me. 573 00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 2: Doctor Rachel Saco Adams is a substance abuse researcher and 574 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,880 Speaker 2: associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. 575 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:11,720 Speaker 3: That's it for today's show. Tomorrow, we're joined by actor 576 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 3: Jordana Brewster to talk all about our new movie Hard Eyes. 577 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 3: Join the conversation using hashtag the bright Side and connect 578 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:22,880 Speaker 3: with us on social media at Hello Sunshine on Instagram 579 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 3: and at The bright Side Pod on TikTok oh, and 580 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:28,760 Speaker 3: feel free to tag us at Simone Boyce and at 581 00:31:28,840 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 3: Danielle Robe. 582 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,360 Speaker 2: Listen and follow The bright Side on the iHeartRadio app, 583 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 2: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 584 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 3: See you tomorrow, folks, keep looking on the bright side.