As a part of the Drink Free Days campaign, Public Health England and Drinkaware are encouraging women to increase their drink-free days to lower the risk of developing breast cancer.
More than 55,100 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United Kingdom each year, alcohol being the cause in 1 out of 13 cases. Alcohol is believed to elevate oestrogen levels in the blood and long-term exposure to oestrogens is known to up the risk of developing breast cancer. Alcohol is also a known cause of a variety of health issues, including liver and heart disease.
The risk for breast cancer increases with increasing consumption of alcohol on a regular basis. UK Chief Medical Officers have recommended men and women to consume no more than 14 units per week to minimise the health risks associated with alcohol. Maintaining several drink-free days is an effective way to adhere to the recommendation.
Dr. Sarah Jarvis, Medical Adviser at Drinkaware said: "When it comes to breast cancer, there are some risks like a family history of the disease that women can’t control. But there are other risks, such as drinking too much or being overweight that they can."
