One drink a day elevates cancer risk!

Large amounts of alcohol have always been linked with health issues, but a new study has now found that even one drink increases the risk of cancer significantly. The study has identified that light drinking is responsible for 34,000 deaths a year worldwide, and that a single alcoholic drink a day could increase the risk of cancer. Until now all studies circled around people drinking moderate to large amounts of alcohol, or binge drinking and never focused on occasional/social drinkers.

The study led by researchers from the University of Milan, was based on 150,000 men and women showed that light drinking increased the likelihood of cancer of the mouth, pharynx, oesophagus and breast. One drink a day increases the risk of cancer of the oesophagus by almost a third, cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx by 17 percent, and breast cancer in women by 5 percent. The study was reported in the Annals of Oncology, and analysed data from more than 200 research projects.

The researchers said that given the high proportion of light drinkers in the population, and the prevalence of cancer in the population, even a small change in cancer risk is important. Certain studies have shown that drinking in small amounts helps in decreasing the risk of heart disease, type-2 diabetes and dementia, leading to many believing that a glass of wine a day is good for health. That being said the damaging effects of alcohol are well known. An estimated 2.2 million deaths a year worldwide are linked to alcohol, and 3.6 percent of all cancers are linked to alcohol. The studies definition of light drinking is up to pne drink a day or 12.5 grams or less of ethanol. The study employed data from 92,000 light drinkers and 60,000 non drinkers.