A new research establishes that ‘excessive’ drinking raises the risk of some cancers.
The study which is reported in the British Medical Journal looked at 363,988 people and found that 10% all cancers in men and 3% in women were caused by alcohol consumption, either present or in the past.
The study found that men who drank more than two (standard-sized) drinks a day and women who drank more than one drink a day were particularly at risk of alcohol-related cancers.
When alcohol is metabolized in the body it produces a chemical which can damage DNA, and consequently increase the chance of developing some cancers.
Past research has already established a link between alcohol consumption and cancers of the esophagus, liver, bowel and female breast.
Of the cancers known to be linked to alcohol, the researchers suggest that 40% to 98% occurred in people who drank more than the recommended maximum.
The effect of smoking and healthy body weight on cancers are well known but now including scaled-down alcohol consumption would reduce the risk even further.
