WHO Warns: No Amount Of Alcohol Consumption Is Safe

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that no amount of alcohol is safe, adding that even light or moderate drinking raises the risk of cancer, heart disease and liver damage, with doctors stressing that quitting brings immediate health benefits.
Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, the same category as tobacco, and has been conclusively linked to at least seven types of cancer.
Research shows that even light or moderate drinking raises the risk of heart disease, liver problems, depression and other health issues.
Experts stressed that every glass, no matter how small, carries consequences. However, they also noted that the human body begins to recover as soon as alcohol is reduced or stopped.
A liver specialist at King’s College Hospital, London, Professor Debbie Shawcross, explained: “In the first few weeks, there will be improvements in sleep quality, concentration, hydration and digestion.
“In the long term, blood pressure will drop and stress on the liver will reduce.”
Doctors added that whether individuals cut down or quit completely, the chances of living longer and healthier rise from day one.
Alcohol disrupts the body in multiple ways, such as sedating the brain instead of aiding sleep, raising blood pressure, irritating the stomach and fueling inflammation that can trigger clots, heart attacks and strokes.
Over time, it shrinks brain tissue, impairs memory, disrupts mood-regulating chemicals and forces the liver into overdrive, potentially leading to cirrhosis and cancer.
The positive news is that recovery begins quickly, within days of quitting, while reflux and indigestion often ease, energy levels improve and sleep deepens.
Within weeks, blood pressure falls, and within months, brain chemistry stabilises.
Long-term, the risks of cirrhosis, cancer and heart disease steadily decline.
While guidelines advise no more than 14 units a week, about six pints of beer or 10 small glasses of wine, studies show even a single drink per week raises cancer risk by three per cent.
One daily small glass of wine increases breast cancer risk by 15 per cent, and two bottles of wine weekly raise it by 27 per cent.
Alcohol remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease worldwide, killing thousands each year.
The medical consensus is clear: Every drink adds risk, but every day without alcohol begins the process of healing.