Light Alcohol Consumption Can Also Increase Risk Of Cancers: Study

A new study claimed that light drinking increased risk of alcohol-related cancers for both men and women.

Health Day reports findings from the study based on data obtained from he Nurses' Health and the Health Professionals Follow-up studies involving 136,000 adults. Researchers found that light to moderate drinking of alcohol upped the risk of breast cancer in women and other cancers in men who smoke.

"Light to moderate drinking is associated with minimally increased risk of overall cancer. For men who have never smoked, risk of alcohol related cancers is not appreciably increased for light and moderate drinking (up to two drinks per day). However, for women who have never smoked, risk of alcohol related cancers (mainly breast cancer) increases even within the range of up to one alcoholic drink a day," researchers wrote in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Light drinking is defined as one drink a day for women and two drinks for men. Researchers found that risk of alcohol related cancers did not increase significantly for men who never smoked but increased was significantly higher for male smokers.

The researchers also suggested that alcohol consumption should be restricted to light drinking and consumers should balance benefits of alcohol for the heart with risk of cancers and other risks like developing hypertension.