A shocking new study has revealed that drinking every day can be dangerous to your health - but this is how much puts you at risk.
Drinking just half a glass of wine or a small beer a day can increase your risk of breast cancer, according to a new report.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in British women, with over 55,000 new cases each year, and according to Cancer Research UK between roughly 13% of ladies will develop a form of breast cancer at some point in their lives.
And now a new study has suggested that alcohol is one of the biggest risk factors.
The research, by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), found that factors like a healthy diet, exercise, limiting alcohol and watching your weight can all reduce the risk of developing the deadly disease.
But there was strong evidence to show that just a small amount of wine or beer a day - about 10g of alcohol - increased the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer by 5%. A daily alcoholic drink also heightened the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer by 9%.
In the UK, beers, wines and spirits are measured as units, with one unit being 8g of pure alcohol.
A one-unit alcoholic drink is equivalent to 250ml of 4% strength beer, 76ml of 13% wine or 25ml of spirits.
The study also found that being overweight or obese increased the chance of post-menopausal breast cancer, but cut the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer if people were overweight in their younger years.
Dr Anne McTiernan, lead author of the report and cancer prevention expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, US, said: "With this comprehensive and up-to-date report the evidence is clear.
"Having a physically active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight throughout life and limiting alcohol are all steps women can take to lower their risk."
Meanwhile the research also revealed the most effective diet to slash your risk.
Consuming foods high in carotenoids - such as carrots, tomatoes, apricots, spinach and sweet potatoes - was linked to a lower risk, as were dairy foods and others high in calcium.
There was "limited but suggestive" evidence to suggest that eating non-starch leafy vegetables such as cabbage, kale, rocket and spinach decreased the risk oestrogen-receptor (ER) negative breast cancer, a less common but harder-to-treat type of tumour.
Dr McTiernan said the links between food and breast cancer were intriguing - but needed further research.
She said: "The findings indicate women may get some benefit from including more non-starchy vegetables with high variety, including foods that contain carotenoids.
"That can also help avoid the common one to two pounds women gain every year, which is key for lowering cancer risk."
Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, said: "Even one drink each day can increase your risk.
"The more you drink, the higher your chance of developing the disease at some point in your life."
Experts found that doing vigorous workouts (like running or biking) cut the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer by 17% compared to women who were least active - and exercise led to a 10% drop for post-menopausal breast cancer.
Meanwhile, breastfeeding had a strong relationship with decreasing the risk of both types of the disease.
Alice Bender, head of nutrition programmes at AICR, added: "Wherever you are with physical activity, try to nudge it up a bit, either a little longer or a little harder.
"Make simple food shifts to boost protection, substitute vegetables like carrots, peppers or green salad for chips and crackers and, if you drink alcohol, stick to a single drink or less.
"There are no guarantees when it comes to cancer, but it's empowering to know you can do something to lower your risk."
****
Via Daily Star UK
Comments