Mission & Justice

Natasha Wallace; 8/5/08

Alcohol is one of the most well-established causes of cancer and there is no safe level of consumption, the Cancer Institute NSW has concluded after an extensive analysis of worldwide research. The state government agency will today release a new report on the strong link between alcohol consumption and cancer, highlighting alarmingly high rates of risk from just two drinks a day. The institute says alcohol is particularly linked to cancer of the upper-aero digestive tract, breast, colorectum, liver and stomach. Its report, Alcohol As A Cause Of Cancer, says the risk of cancer in the upper-aero digestive tract is increased by 40 per cent (voicebox) and by 75 per cent (mouth and pharynx) from two alcoholic drinks a day.

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Ian Sample; 7/5/08

Breast-fed babies are more intelligent than those raised on formula milk, the most comprehensive study of the issue has found. The study involved nearly 14,000 children aged over 6½. At the age of 6½, children who had been exclusively breastfed scored 7.5 points higher in verbal intelligence tests and 5.9 points higher in overall IQ tests. Teachers also rated the breastfed children better at reading, writing and mathematics. The finding, which confirms earlier research, raises the question of whether it is breast milk itself or associated maternal care that boosts intelligence

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