Although one in two people will develop cancer at some point in their lives, this doesn’t mean that you have no say in lowering your risk. While there are various lifestyle tweaks that could help erect a barrier against the deadly condition, there’s one drink that needs to be taken with caution as it can make you more prone to seven types of cancer.
Whether you pour yourself a glass of wine or go to your local pub for a pint of beer, many Britons enjoy a cheeky drink or two from time to time.
However, “even a small amount” of this popular beverage could make you more susceptible to cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.
The charity told Express.co.uk: “Alcohol gets broken down into a harmful chemical called acetaldehyde, which can damage our cells and stop cells from repairing this damage.
“Alcohol can also make cells in the mouth and throat more likely to absorb cancer-causing substances, like those found in cigarette smoke.
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“This can make the cells more likely to develop mistakes in their genetic material and develop into cancer cells.”
From gin to wine and cocktails to shots, it doesn’t matter what your go-to drink is as alcohol itself is the problem.
Cancer Research UK said: “All types of alcoholic drink can cause cancer as it’s the alcohol itself that causes damage.
“Our body’s chemical signals can be affected by alcohol.
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“It’s how much alcohol you drink that matters, so no drinking pattern or type of alcohol is worse than another,” the charity added.
Furthermore, trying to make up for the amount of alcohol you drank with a healthy diet and lifestyle might not work.
Cancer Research UK said: “Eating a healthy, balanced diet can reduce your risk of cancer. But everything we eat and drink is important, including how much alcohol we drink.
“The only way to reduce the risk of cancer from alcohol is to drink less of it – whether that’s by having more alcohol-free days every week, swapping out some glasses of alcohol for non-alcoholic ones, or picking lower strength drinks or smaller servings.
“There’s plenty of tricks that people claim ‘cure’ hangovers and reverse damage from alcohol.
“But even if they help with your hangover, they don’t cancel out the damage from drinking alcohol.”
