Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston concluded that women and men who drank an average of one alcoholic beverage a day were about 30 percent less likely to develop renal cell cancer than non-drinkers.

This reduced risk was seen in people who drank beer, wine or liquor. The findings are in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Despite their review, the researchers stressed that not smoking and maintaining a healthy weight are the best ways to reduce the risk of renal cell cancer. They noted that alcohol raises the risk of cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, throat, esophagus, liver and breast, and possibly the colon and rectum.

“These healthy lifestyle choices (not smoking, weight control) should be encouraged, and doing so may also reduce the risk of many other cancers as well as cardiovascular disease,” study author Jung Eun Lee said in a prepared statement.

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