Canada's food guide
Alcohol
There are health risks linked to drinking alcohol.
On this page
Benefits of limiting alcohol
Alcoholic drinks can add a lot of calories and offer little to no nutritional value. When alcohol is served with syrups, sugary drinks or as cream-based liquors, these drinks can have a lot of:
- sodium
- sugars
- saturated fats
Health risks linked to drinking alcohol over the long term include:
- liver disease
- many types of cancer including:
- liver
- mouth
- esophageal
- pharynx (throat)
- larynx (voice box)
- breast, after menopause
- colorectal (bowel and colon)
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
Long-term drinking can also lead to an increased risk of social problems.
Alcohol guidelines
If you drink alcohol, Canada’s low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines give more information on how to reduce your risk of short- and long-term harm.
If you do not drink alcohol, you are not encouraged to start.