It can tell you the time, read you the news and even crack a joke or two, but could Amazon's Alexa play a role in your health too?
Alexa is one of a growing number of voice technologies that are slowly becoming part of people's everyday lives. Most smartphones have some form of voice assistant, and 'hands-free' speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home Mini have become increasingly common in homes around the world.
We've blogged about this growing trend already, and how we're exploring voice technology as a possible new way to reach people.
One area we want to explore is whether voice technology could help people make changes to their lifestyle that could improve their health. And today, tied to Alcohol Awareness Week, we're launching an alcohol tracker that can be used with Alexa-compatible devices.
It's well known that alcohol can lead to a sore head in the morning, but awareness of the link between alcohol and cancer is worryingly low. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of 7 different types of cancer, including some of the most common types, such as breast and bowel cancer. But the good news is the less you drink, the lower the risk of cancer, which means cutting down even a little bit can make a difference to your health.
Whether it's a glass of wine in front of the telly, or a couple of beers after work with friends, it's easy for the amount we drink to stack up throughout the week without us realising. To keep health risks from alcohol low, it's recommended that we drink no more than 14 units a week – that's about 7 pints of 3-4% beer or 6 standard glasses of wine. And the guidance is the same for everyone, no matter your build, height or gender.
