Research
Hormonal
Alcohol consumption increases the risk of cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus, liver, and breast; intake should not exceed 2 units/d.
If you drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than 2 units per day. This helps reduce the risk of several cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, liver, and breast.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Alcohol causes cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus and liver, and a small increase in the risk for breast cancer; if consumed, alcohol intake should not exceed 2 units/d.
Why this rating
The paper states 'Alcohol causes cancers' and cites 'large amount of data from well-designed studies'.
Source
Diet, nutrition and the prevention of cancer
Timothy J. Key et al. · Public Health Nutrition · 2004
DOI 10.1079/phn2003588
narrative_reviewCited 651×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Maintaining a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5-25 kg/m2 and avoiding adult weight gain reduces the risk of developing cancers of the oesophagus (adenocarcinoma), colorectum, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, and kidney.Good
- Regular physical activity reduces the risk of colorectal cancer and probably reduces the risk of breast cancer.Good
- Consuming at least 400 g/d of total fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cancers of the oral cavity, oesophagus, stomach, and colorectum.Moderate
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