Just one glass of alcoholic drink per day is enough to increase breast cancer risk in women, before and after menopause, according to a new report from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), published Tuesday, May 23.

For women who drink the equivalent of one small glass of wine or beer per day (around 10 grams of alcohol) pre-menopausal breast cancer risk increases by five per cent and post-menopausal breast cancer risk increases by nine per cent, according to a major new report from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR).

A five-ounce glass of wine contains 14 grams of alcohol.

The findings are based on an analysis of 119 studies, including data on 12 million women and 260,000 breast cancer cases.

The report also highlights the importance of exercise in minimizing the risk of developing breast cancer both for pre- and post-menopausal women. Pre-menopausal women who were the most physically active, taking part in vigorous activities like running and fast biking, had a 17 per cent lower risk of developing breast cancer compared to the least active women. For post-menopausal women, the risk was reduced by 10 per cent.

Activity, breastfeeding linked to lower risk

Moderate physical activity, such as walking and gardening, was also linked to a 13 per cent reduced risk when comparing the most and least active women, the report concludes.

Moreover, women who are overweight or obese, and those with greater adult weight gain, were found to be at greater risk of developing breast cancer after menopause, according to the findings. Mothers who breastfeed, however, were found to have a lower breast cancer risk.

Stay On Top Of The Trends Get the biggest lifestyle news sent to your inbox

Another risk factor linked to lifestyle could be diet. Dietary changes may, therefore, help reduce breast cancer risk. The report found limited evidence suggesting that foods high in calcium (green vegetables, dried fruits, sesame, dairy products) and fruit and vegetables high in carotenoids (bell peppers, carrots, apricots, broccoli, spinach) could have a protective effect against some types of breast cancers, in particular estrogen-receptor (ER) negative breast cancers, a less common but more challenging kind of tumor to treat.