Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink will reduce your cancer risk. For cancer prevention, it’s best not to drink alcohol.
Reducing your alcohol use is a step towards living a longer, healthier life. As well as reducing cancer risk, drinking less alcohol saves money, helps improve sleep and helps with maintaining a healthy weight.
Alcohol contains ethanol, which is a Group 1 carcinogen (cancer-causing compound). When being broken down by the body, ethanol becomes a toxic chemical called acetaldehyde, which can damage the DNA of your cells causing cancer.
Alcohol can damage the lining of the mouth and throat causing cancer in these parts of the body. When alcohol is digested it can break down into compounds that cause bowel cancer. Alcohol can also impact the levels of hormones that are linked to breast cancer.
It doesn’t matter what type of alcohol you drink – the cancer risk increases with every alcoholic drink you have. There is no safe level of alcohol use. For cancer prevention, it’s best not to drink alcohol.
Those who do not drink should not take up drinking. If you choose to drink, follow the Australian Government guidelines and remember the less you drink the better.
Have no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any drinking occasion.
What is 1 standard drink?
One standard drink contains 10g of alcohol and equals:
100mL of wine
30mL (one nip) of spirits
60mL (two nips) of fortified wine
285mL (one middy) of normal-strength beer
450mL (one schooner) of low alcohol (light) beer
220-250mL ready-to-drink alcoholic sodas
200mL cider
Some cocktails contain more than three standard drinks! Drinks served at home and at restaurants and bars usually contain more than one standard drink.
Drinking any type of alcohol increases your risk of bowel, breast, kidney, liver, mouth, throat, oesophagus and stomach cancer. The more you drink, the greater the risk.
Alcoholic drinks are ‘empty kilojoules’ meaning they are high in kilojoules and low in nutrients – which can lead to excess energy intake and weight gain. High body weight is a risk factor for risk of 13 types of cancer.
There is strong evidence that alcoholic drinks increase the risk of bowel and breast cancers. In fact, over 1,600 bowel and breast cancers are caused by alcohol each year in Australia.
Try to drink at least two litres of water a day, and always go for water when you are thirsty. Alcohol will dehydrate you even more. If you do drink alcohol, make sure you take your time and sip.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know how many standard drinks you have had when friends and restaurant staff are quick to replenish your glass. Waiting until the glass is empty before topping up can help you to keep count of your drinks.
Set yourself some alcohol-free days each week. At the start of the week think about which days work best for you and plan what you will do instead. Maybe organise to go for a regular walk with a friend or start a new hobby.
© Cancer Council NSW 2024 Head Office Address: 153 Dowling Street, Woolloomooloo NSW 2011. Cancer Council NSW is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as an Income Tax Exempt Charity: Charitable Fundraising Authority No. 18521.
Some images on this site have been supplied by Cancer Council Western Australia's Crunch & Sip website
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