Cutting back on alcohol in your 30s and 40s could help lower breast cancer risk, says new study

Women in their 30s and 40s may want to rethink how much they drink to help lower their breast cancer risk, new research suggests.

A new study, conducted by researchers at Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research, analysed data from more than 110,000 women in the Breast Cancer Now Generations Study. It found that lifestyle factors known to be linked to cancer risk actually change in different life stages, with alcohol consumption rising in early-to-mid adulthood. Body mass index (BMI), meanwhile, generally increased with age.

Breast Cancer Now says that drinking less alcohol, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active can all help reduce your risk of breast cancer.

In the latest research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, experts found that identifying when these behaviours are most likely to change could help offer more targeted support during key stages of life.

Professor Marc Gunter, chairman in cancer epidemiology and prevention at Imperial College London, said: ‘Our study has shown that adolescence and early adulthood may be a particularly important time to encourage physical activity and help prevent rapid weight gain.

‘Meanwhile, early to mid-adulthood, from around the 30s to 50s, could be a key period for tackling rising body mass index (BMI) and renewed increases in alcohol consumption.

‘By identifying when these behaviour transitions are most likely to occur, the findings could help inform more tailored public health strategies aimed at reducing breast cancer risk across the population.’

Regularly drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing breast cancer – and the more you drink, the higher your risk. Breast Cancer Now says that even one alcoholic drink a day can increase your risk, while around eight in every 100 breast cancer cases are thought to be linked to drinking alcohol.

Experts don’t yet fully understand why alcohol has this effect and increases breast cancer risk, but again, according to Breast Cancer Now, it may be because the body breaks alcohol down into a chemical that can damage cells.

‘Drinking alcohol can change the levels of hormones in the body, including oestrogen which is known to help some breast cancers to grow,' they say.

According to the NHS, regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week – that’s equivalent to roughly 6 pints of beer or 6 medium (175ml) glasses of wine – risks damaging your health. But 14 units is considered a ‘low-risk limit’, not a completely safe amount.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that any amount of alcohol carries health risks, since alcohol is a classified Group 1 carcinogen linked to at least seven types of cancer, including breast cancer.

There are lots of ways you can cut back on alcohol and help reduce your risk of breast cancer and other illnesses. Here are five easy ways to cut back:

1. Have several drink-free days each week – the NHS Drink Free Days app can help you keep track
2. Swap your usual drink for an alcohol-free version – try an alcohol-free wine or beer or a mocktail
3. Make your social plans alcohol-free – meet for a coffee, see a film or go for a walk or run
4. Don’t feel obliged to join in with rounds – if you do go out for a drink, try not to drink in rounds with other people, as it can be surprisingly easy to drink more than you mean to when you're matching everyone else
5. Set yourself a weekly alcohol limit – you’re more likely to stick to it if you make a plan in advance

Alice Barraclough

Nutrition Editor

With a decade in journalism – in print, online and social – at national newspapers and lifestyle magazines, Alice has tackled just about everything when it comes to health and fitness. A former competitive swimmer, sport has shaped her life from a young age, leading her to take on marathons, an Ironman 70.3, and even cycle up Alpe d’Huez. From sweat-testing the latest (and weirdest) fitness fads to living off a diary-free, meat-free, caffeine-free, fun-free diet at an extreme Ayurvedic retreat in Sri Lanka, she’s tried it all – always in pursuit of peak performance and, of course, a great story.

Alice began her career with a five-year stint at The Telegraph, where she wrote for the Telegraph Magazine's ‘Worth leaving the sofa for?’ fitness column and was the face of the Telegraph running newsletter, documenting her journey over 16 weeks training for the London Marathon. She worked as the Special Reports Commissioning Editor and as a Lifestyle Commissioning Editor before stepping into the world of freelance journalism.

As a freelance lifestyle writer, her work appeared in Women’s Health, Elle, Stylist, Grazia, The Independent, Glamour, Marie Claire, Glorious Sport, The Metro, Conde Nast Traveller, Country and Town House, Queen of Retreats and The Wedding Edition. 

In 2022, Alice joined Hearst Magazines as Runner’s World’s Commissioning Editor and now oversees food content as Women’s Health’s Nutrition Editor. With a ‘food first’ ethos, she is here to help you decipher exactly which foods will support your health, and which macro-counting, pasta-replacing, intermittent-fasting, 13-day cleanse is just, well, a scam. A keen baker and host, she firmly believes that no dessert beats a pavlova – especially when topped with summer berries and a generous helping of whipped cream. Delish.

You can keep up with her latest adventures on Instagram at @al_barraclough.