Zero booze or bacon to avoid cancer

Researchers say that evidence linking unhealthy lifestyles to cancer had grown since 2007, prompting them to issue the tough recommendations.

On current UK trends, obesity could overtake smoking as the leading cause of cancer within 20 years, they add.

Several studies have linked alcohol and processed meats to increased risks of cancer. Alcohol is most closely linked to breast cancer, and processed meats such as bacon increase the chance of bowel disease. The new guidelines state that ‘‘alcohol is strongly linked to an increased risk of six cancers’’.

‘‘No level of intake’’ of processed meats will reduce cancer risks, and experts recommend only a limited intake of red meat.

The recommendations, launched at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna, highlight the risks caused by obesity. The 10-point plan sets out a package of lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of cancer, such as being a healthy weight, physically active every day, and eating a varied diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Dr Giota Mitou, a fund director, said the only drinks carrying no cancer risk were those containing neither sugar nor alcohol. ‘‘Sticking to water is best.’’

The research warns that unhealthy lifestyles will fuel an increase in cancer cases globally by around 60 per cent within the next 40 years.

The review, led by Imperial College London, tracked all published studies involving 51 million people, 3.5 million of whom developed cancer.

‘‘This is very robust evidence of what affects and doesn’t affect cancer risk,’’ Mitou said. ‘‘With more countries adopting a Westernised lifestyle . . . new cancer cases are predicted to be increased to 24 million annually worldwide by 2035.’’

‘‘Our recommendations work as a blueprint to beat cancer, because they are based on evidence that has now proved consistent for decades.’’

– Telegraph Group