Alcohol directly causes a series of cancers, a major review has claimed.
Scientists have known for decades of a link – but experts now insist they have found “strong evidence” that seven types of cancer can result from boozing.
The greatest problems are in heavy drinking, but the University of Otago in New Zealand’s analysis of existing studies discovered even low amounts of alcohol are a risk.
They found links to cancer of the mouth and throat, larynx, oesophagus, liver, colon, bowel and breast.
Jennie Connor, from the University of Otago, said that based on the evidence, there is no safe level of boozing with respect to cancer.
She added that supposed health benefits of drinking – such as red wine being good for the heart – were “seen increasingly as irrelevant in comparison to the increase in risk of a range of cancers”.
The Otago findings concluded that for every 1,000 women who do not drink, 109 will develop breast cancer.
This rises to 126 women for those who consume up to 14 units a week, and 153 women for those who down 14 to 35 units.
One theory is that that alcohol can damage your DNA.
Susannah Brown, from the World Cancer Research Fund, said: “This review is solid evidence to conclude that alcohol consumption directly causes cancer.”
The study, published in the journal Addiction, said alcohol is estimated to be responsible for half a million deaths worldwide in 2012 – 5.8% of all cancer deaths.
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