Daily alcohol intake increases breast cancer risk, study suggests

A new report by the World Cancer Research Fund has indicated that consuming just on alcoholic drink per day can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

Sarah, head of Health Information for the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “We know that drinking alcohol increases the risk of several cancers, but surely just one drink a day won’t hurt, right? Actually it could – evidence from our new report shows that even moderate drinkers are putting themselves at an increased risk of breast cancer.

“There are many ways in which alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer. For example, when we drink alcohol, it is converted into a toxic substance called acetaldehyde which can cause cells to become cancerous by directly damaging DNA.

“Unfortunately, bacteria found in the mouth are particularly good at converting alcohol into acetaldehyde, meaning it can build up even if you’ve only been drinking small amounts.

“Our report also found strong evidence that other lifestyle factors reduce breast cancer risk.

“Vigorous’ exercise (the type that gets you working up a sweat) helps prevent pre-menopausal breast cancer, while even
‘moderate’ exercise (including, for example, brisk walking) helps prevent the most common post-menopausal type.

The report recommended that most important thing women can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer is to not drink alcohol, citing ‘around one in five breast cancer cases could be prevented every year in the UK by not drinking.

However, the report maintained that ‘with social drinking so ingrained in British culture, we realise that giving up might not be realistic for everyone. If you do choose to drink, you should at least try to reduce your intake.’