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Research: Just 3 beers a day could give you cancer

Health & Science

Drinking the equivalent of just three pints of beer a day can cause liver cancer, experts have warned.

Scientists revealed for the first time strong evidence of a link between tumours and alcohol units consumed.

A study by the World Cancer Research Fund found those who drank six units daily, the same as three pints of standard strength lager or two large glasses of wine, were more likely to be struck down.

Its Continuous Update Project (CUP) report is the most comprehensive review ever of global research into the relationship between diet, weight and physical activity and liver cancer.

Thirty four studies were reviewed covering 8.2 million people - of whom nearly 25,000 had liver cancer.

The World Cancer Research Fund recommends that if you do have a drink, women should try to limit their alcohol intake to one drink per day and men to two drinks per day.

A pint of standard lager has just over two units, so drinking three or more pints a day would put you over the threshold of six units highlighted in the research.

The Government’s current advice is aligned with this. It says men should not have more than four units a day and women should not have more than three.

Amanda McLean, director of World Cancer Research Fund UK, said: “Around three or more drinks per day can be enough to cause liver cancer. Until now we were uncertain about the amount of alcohol likely to lead to liver cancer.

“But the research reviewed in this report is strong enough, for the first time, to be more specific about this.”

Other research to be revealed from the CUP today shows that being overweight or obese is linked with an increased risk of liver cancer.

Around 61% of people in the UK are overweight or obese.

The research also found strong evidence that drinking coffee can reduce the risk of the disease. This follows research published in 2013 showing that coffee reduces the risk of womb cancer.

Liver cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease with just a 12% survival rate after five years. Globally, around 782,000 cases were diagnosed in 2012, and there were 4,703 cases in the UK.

The WCRF estimates that nearly a quarter (24%) of cases diagnosed in the UK could be prevented, if people kept a healthy weight and did not drink.

Prof Sir Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: “The findings from this study further demonstrate the urgent need for mandatory health warnings on alcohol products.

"Evidence from the AHA demonstrates that the public are still largely unaware of the direct link between alcohol and cancer.

“Current voluntary pledges on labelling by the alcohol industry do not go far enough - such groups will always place the interests of shareholders above the interests of public health.”

Dr Sarah Jarvis, medical advisor for alcohol education charity Drinkaware, said: “To help reduce the risk of getting alcohol related liver cancer, it’s best to drink within the lower-risk guidelines of 2 to 3 units a day for women, that’s a 175ml glass of 13% wine, or 3 to 4 units a day for men, a pint and a half of 4% beer.”

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