The Hush Post| 8:13 pm|one-minute-read|
Well, one to two drinks a day could be good for the heart but not really as it increases the risk of cancer. Researchers in Japan have found that even light alcohol consumption might increase the risk of cancer.
The overall cancer risk is lowest at zero alcohol consumption, as per the study.
The elevated risk appeared to be explained by alcohol-related cancer risk. These included the cancer of rectum, stomach, breast, prostate and esophagus.
“In Japan, the primary cause of death is cancer,” said one of the researchers Masayoshi Zaitsu from The University of Tokyo.
“Given the current burden of overall cancer incidence, we should further encourage promoting public education about alcohol-related cancer risk,” Zaitsu said.
The team looked at the clinical data of 63,232 patients with cancer. Then they looked at the data of an equal number of non-alcoholic patients.
All participants reported their average daily amount of standardised alcohol units and the duration of drinking.
One standardised drink containing 23 grams of ethanol was equivalent to one 180-ml cup of Japanese sake, one 500-ml bottle of beer, one 180-ml glass of wine, or one 60-ml cup of whiskey.
The researchers found an almost linear association between cancer and alcohol consumption.
A light level of drinking at 10-drink-year point, for example, one drink per day for 10 years or two drinks per day for five years would increase cancer risk by five per cent, the findings showed.
Those who drank two or fewer drinks a day had an elevated risk of the disease. This was regardless of how long they had consumed alcohol. Also, analyses classified by sex, drinking/smoking behaviours and occupational class mostly showed the same patterns.