Among men and women, drinking just one alcoholic beverage a day increases the risk of liver cirrhosis, oesophageal cancer, oral cancer and injuries of various kinds, according to a new US federal government analysis.

Women face a higher risk of developing liver cancer even at this modest level of drinking. Drinking two drinks a day – double the US Dietary Guidelines’ recommendation for women, but the current amount condoned for men – increases the odds of a death caused by alcohol for men and women.