Excessive alcohol consumption is dangerous for health, we all know it. It casts a serious risk of liver damage, heart problem and many other health issues. That's why we are always advised to drink in moderation. Those who are everyday drinkers are specifically advised to limit the consumption to not more than two drinks. We have often heard and read that having 1-2 drinks a day poses no threat to our health; but the results of a new study suggest otherwise. Researchers in Japan have found that even light alcohol consumption might increase the risk of cancer. So, a couple of drinks every day (that we always thought to be harmless) may not be really a good idea.
The research conducted by The University of Tokyo revealed that people who drank two or fewer drinks a day still had an elevated cancer risk regardless of how long they had consumed alcohol. The analyses were also classified by sex, drinking/smoking behaviours and occupational class, and displayed the same patterns. The results were published in the journal Cancer.
(Also Read: Alcohol's Effect on Health; What the Science Says)
Masayoshi Zaitsu, one of the researchers from The University of Tokyo, said, "In Japan, the primary cause of death is cancer. Given the current burden of overall cancer incidence, we should further encourage promoting public education about alcohol-related cancer risk.
The researchers analysed data of 63,232 people dealing with cancer, procured from 33 general hospitals in Japan. All the patients divulged their average daily amount of standardised alcohol units and the duration of alcohol consumption. The team discovered a linear association between cancer risk and alcohol consumption.
The study gives some noteworthy warning signals to us. It found that the overall cancer risk appeared to be the lowest at zero alcohol consumption. The elevated risk could be blamed at alcohol-related cancer risk across relatively common sites, including the colorectum, stomach, breast, prostate and esophagus.