Pint A Day 'Raises Cancer Risk'

Today, 07:25 am
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Drinking one pint of beer a day increases the risk of liver and bowel cancer by a fifth, a health expert has said. S

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Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager for World Cancer Research Fund, also warned that a large glass of wine or two spirits can have the same effect.

She said: "If you are drinking a pint of lager or a large glass of wine every day then this might not seem like a lot.

"But the science shows you are increasing your risk of bowel cancer by 18% and your risk of liver cancer by 20%.

"When you consider how many cases of these types of cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year, it is clear that drinking even relatively small amounts of alcohol can make a significant difference."

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with more than 36,500 people diagnosed with it every year and around 16,000 dying from it.

In addition, more than 3,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with liver cancer each year, with a similar number dying.

The WCRF also said there is convincing evidence that drinking alcohol can increase the risk of breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus.

The charity recommends not drinking alcohol at all in order to prevent cancer but said if people do drink they should limit themselves to two drinks a day for a man or one for a woman.

Previous studies have shown that modest amounts of alcohol may have a protective effect when it comes to heart disease.

But Dr Thompson said this was only relevant for people at particular risk of heart problems, such as men aged over 40 and postmenopausal women.

A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We recognise the risks of cancer arising from alcohol consumption.

"This study appears to be broadly consistent with known estimated risks, though we look forward to examining it in more detail."

rufus wrote:Damn. When I first read this I thought he meant a pint of milk. Damn again!