Alcohol and cancer
Drinking any type of alcohol increases your risk of 7 different types of cancer, and our evidence shows that there is no safe level of drinking.
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Cutting down on alcohol is good for your health in many different ways – and it will reduce your risk of cancer too.
Many governments share guidelines on how much alcohol to drink – but our evidence shows that there is no safe level of alcohol.
What’s the link between alcohol and cancer?
Drinking alcohol increases the risk of the following cancers:
What’s the science between alcohol and cancer?
When alcohol is broken down in the body, compounds are formed that can directly damage the DNA, which can then lead to cancer.
Drinking alcohol can also lead to liver cirrhosis (scarring), which is a known cause of liver cancer.
Alcohol may make it easier for other dietary or environmental cancer-causing compounds, such as those in tobacco smoke, to get into the cells and cause DNA damage.
Our evidence shows that for some cancer types, alcohol is particularly harmful if you also smoke.
Our Cancer Prevention Recommendation
- Limit alcohol consumption. For cancer prevention, it’s best not to drink alcohol.
- If you do consume alcoholic drinks, do not exceed national guidelines.
Are some alcoholic drinks worse than others?
Our evidence shows that all types of alcoholic drinks have a similar impact on cancer risk: beers, wines or spirits.
The important factor is the amount of alcohol (ethanol) consumed.
Are there any health benefits to drinking alcohol?
Alcohol doesn’t have any benefits in terms of cancer prevention – drinking any amount increases your risk. To protect yourself against cancer, we recommend not drinking alcohol at all.
Some studies suggest that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol (around 5 units or less per week) may slightly reduce the risk of heart disease. However, recent evidence shows that the risks of drinking alcohol are greater than any possible benefits.
Tips for drinking less alcohol
Follow our top 10 tips for reducing how alcohol you drink:
1. Go small
Choose smaller servings – like a 125ml glass of wine instead of a large one, or a half pint instead of a full pint.
This will save you money too.
Avoid double shots of spirits.
2. Alternate
Replace every other alcoholic drink with a non-alcoholic drink such as water or a low-calorie soft drink
3. Dilute alcoholic drinks
Dilute your alcoholic drinks with sugar-free calorie mixers to make them last longer. For example, fill half your wine glass with wine and the rest with soda water or sugar-free lemonade.
4. Avoid salty snacks
Salty snacks can make you thirsty and may encourage you to drink more.
5. Don’t stock up
The more you buy and have in the house, the more likely you are to drink.
6. Drink water
Before reaching for an alcoholic drink, at home or in the pub, have a glass of water first as you may just be thirsty.
7. Sip slowly
Instead of holding onto your glass, take a sip and then set it down.
This will help you drink more slowly and might reduce how much you drink.
8. Plan ahead and keep track
At the start of the week, think about your social plans and set a limit for how much you’ll drink at each event.
While drinking, keep a note of how much you drink too. This can help you stay on track.
Let others know it’s your alcohol-free night to reduce social pressure to drink.
9. Change your drinking habits
People often drink alcohol to relieve boredom or stress.
Try to set goals such as doing something creative instead – exercise is also a great distraction.
Why not allocate certain days of the week when you don’t drink any alcohol too.
10. Buy low-alcohol or alcohol-free alternatives
There are many low-alcohol and alcohol-free choices available today.
This way, you can enjoy a drink without feeling worried about not drinking alcohol.
Alcohol and calories
Alcohol can be surprisingly high in calories. They’re often called ‘empty calories’ because alcoholic drinks don’t contain any essential nutrients your body needs, such as protein, vitamins or fibre.
The lack of fibre means it’s easy to drink large amounts without feeling full. For example:
- A pint of beer or lager contains about 170 calories – similar to three chocolate chip biscuits.
- A large 250ml glass of wine contains about 190 calories – similar to a plain butter croissant.
Help for you
The NHS provides information and support for those seeking help with alcohol-related issues in the UK. Services may vary in other countries.
Further research
There’s also strong evidence that consumption of alcoholic drinks helps protect against kidney cancer.
However, this finding is far outweighed by the increased risk for other cancers.
Alcohol policy
Our policy position on alcohol and cancer outlines what governments need to do to reduce the harms caused by alcohol. How much a person drinks is not entirely down to individual choice. Policies on alcohol make a difference. We recommend the following to help people drink less:
- Making alcohol less affordable, including a minimum unit price
- Restricting where and when alcohol can be sold
- Health labels on alcohol showing the risks
- Restricting or banning alcohol companies from sponsoring events
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