DRINKING just one pint of beer a day increases the risk of liver and bowel cancer by a fifth, experts warned yesterday.
A large glass of wine or a couple of spirits such as vodka or gin can have the same damaging effect, according to scientists at the World Cancer Research Fund.
Dr Rachel Thompson, science programme manager at the WCRF, warned that just two units o
f alcohol a day significantly increases the risk of bowel and liver cancer.
"If you are drinking a pint of lager or a large glass of wine every day, then this might not seem like a lot," she said.
"But the science shows you are increasing your risk of bowel cancer by 18 per cent and your risk of liver cancer by 20 per cent.
"When you consider how many cases of these types of cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year, it is clear that drinking even relatively small amounts of alcohol can make a significant difference.
"Yet, despite strong evidence, most people still do not know that alcohol increases risk of cancer, so it is clear we need to do more to get this message across."
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK, with more than 36,500 people diagnosed with it every year and around 16,000 dying from it.
In addition, more than 3,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with liver cancer each year and a similar number die.
According to the WCRF, there is also convincing evidence that drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer and cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx and oesophagus.
The charity recommends not drinking alcohol at all in order to reduce the risk of cancer, but says if people do drink, they should limit it to two drinks a day for a man or one for a woman.
One drink contains about 10g to 15g of pure alcohol. This is the same as half a pint of normal-strength beer, lager or cider, and is also the equivalent of one 25ml single measure of vodka, gin or whisky, or one small glass – 125ml – of wine.
The government recommendations are that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol per day and women should not drink more than two to three units.
Previous studies have shown that modest amounts of alcohol may have a protective effect when it comes to heart disease.
But Dr Thompson said this was relevant only for people at particular risk of heart disease, such as men aged over 40 and post-menopausal women.
A spokesman for the Department of Health said: "We recognise the risks of cancer arising from alcohol consumption.
"In some cases, these begin to rise at or below the government's guideline levels for regular consumption.
"As the WCRF notes, health advice on regular alcohol consumption takes account of a wide range of conditions, including a protective effect for heart disease in men over 40 and post-menopausal women.
"This study appears to be broadly consistent with known estimated risks, although we look forward to examining it in more detail."
The full article contains 536 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
