A recent Japanese study found that light to moderate drinking increases the risk of cancer.

“Cancer,” the peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, published the findings. Masayoshi Zaitsu, Ph.D., led the study. It analyzed information from 33 general hospitals throughout Japan from 2005-16. Zaitsu and his colleagues reviewed clinical data from 63,200 people who had cancer and 63,200 people who did not have cancer.

All patients reported their average standardized amounts of daily alcohol consumption. That included 6 ounces of Japanese sake and an equal amount of wine, 17 ounces of beer and 2 ounces of whiskey.

With zero alcohol consumption, the overall cancer risk appeared to be lower. Light drinking — drinking once per day for 10 years or having two drinks each day for five years — increased the overall risk for cancer by 5 percent. No matter the duration of alcohol consumption, people who drank two or fewer drinks each day also had an increased risk of cancer.