UK’s new guidelines for alcohol consumption warn that drinking any level of alcohol increases the risk of a range of cancers, according to a statement released Friday by the Department of Health.
That’s because the UK’s chief medical officers have issued new guidance on how to booze safely, and the bad news is that no level of regular drinking is without risk to health.
Matt Field, professor of addiction at the University of Liverpool, said: “Any amount of alcohol consumption carries some risk”. The original guidance was published in 1995, before many links between alcohol and cancer were detected.
Previously, daily drinking limits for men were three to four units – between 21 and 24 units per week.
January is traditionally a time when people in Britain consider taking a break from alcohol, but the latest guidelines from the UK’s chief medical officers suggest more long-term changes could be necessary.
“Drinking approximately 1.5 units per day (10.5 units per week) or more increases the risk of cancers of the voice box and large bowel, whilst cancers of the liver and pancreas are more common in people who drink approximately six units per day (42 units per week) or more”.
Government advice also says that everyone should have some alcohol-free days per week.
The new guidelines also state that pregnant women should not drink at all. This means that women and men should drink the same amount to minimise the health risks.
Recommended drinking limits for British men have been sharply reduced, prompting health campaigners in Ireland to demand a similar reduction.
New data emerging from the review revealed alcohol can increase the risk of some cancers, even when drunk in moderation.
The committee says to spread the 14 units out, but to also avoid drinking for two consecutive days so the liver can fix the damage it sustains when processing alcohol.
Prof Linda Bauld, of Cancer Research UK, welcomed the guidelines, saying: “There is no “safe” level of drinking when it comes to cancer”.
Do you know how many units are in your drinks?
The greatest benefit of alcohol is seen when these women limit their intake to around five units a week which is the equivalent to around two standard glasses of wine.
Bad news too for those who imbibe a few glasses of red to keep their hearts healthy.
Meanwhile, the Society for Independent Brewers (SIBA) said that benefits on wellbeing and happiness which stem from the “responsible enjoyment of alcohol in a sociable environment such as a pub, have been ignored”.
The rules also say that one should not indulge in binge drinking.
