While some doctors say drinking a moderate amount of alcohol can have some health benefits, a new study from British researchers found that heavier consumption can cause a variety of cancers.

The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that drinking more than a recommended amount of alcohol each day - one drink for women and two for men - may lead to multiple medical problems that can increase health insurance costs, such as mouth, throat, bowel and breast cancer.

Researchers tracked more than 350,000 Europeans between 1992 and 2000 to see how alcohol consumption influenced cancer development. Of those surveyed, scientists discovered that overall cancer risks increase with every extra drink a man or woman consumes per day that is above the recommended limit. Ultimately, researchers said over that period, 10 percent of cancers in men and 3 percent in women were attributed to alcohol consumption.

In addition, researchers said alcohol may have been responsible for almost 45 percent of cancers of the mouth, larynx and throat and men, and 25 percent of those cancers among women. It also caused 33 percent of liver cancers in men, and 18 percent in women.

However, when consumed moderately, alcohol can lower a person's risk for heart disease, strokes, gallstones and diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.