I just returned from a trip to Portugal, and one thing that really stuck out to me was how much alcohol seemed to be a part of daily life. Granted, I know a lot of people were probably on vacation, but from breakfast champagne, mimosas or port wines (in Porto, where they originated!), pre-lunch cocktails, lunch beverages, the pre-dinner aperitif, or the wine with dinner, alcohol seemed to be a big part of the culture in Portugal. Maybe I’m too old or jaded, and biased because I don’t really drink these days (it destroys my stomach), but it seemed like a lot. Which of course got me thinking to a very common question I get from clients and patients:
Q: Should we be drinking alcohol? Is it harmful to health? What are your thoughts?
I do, of course, have thoughts. I think this question is especially confusing because there always seems to be the latest and greatest news out saying either that “alcohol is good for X” or “alcohol is terrible for X,” and it’s hard to know what to actually believe. This article from January seemed to get an especially large amount of attention, and rightfully so.
Here’s what I think:
If you have or are at a higher risk for breast cancer
Less is more. And by that I mean, more than half a drink per day, or 2-3 drinks per week, has been shown to increase risk of breast cancer. The more alcohol you drink beyond this, the higher your risk is (what we call a linear relationship). This is exactly what I’ve told my breast cancer patients, with the guidelines of having less than 2-3 drinks per week (but again, less is even better). If it were me, I wouldn’t drink at all lest for a once in a while special occasion. There are so many risk factors that can’t be changed when it comes to breast cancer, but this is one that we have absolute control over and I think should be used to our advantage. This may be an extreme opinion but I feel pretty strongly about it.
If you’re an athlete training for an event
Be strategic! Alcohol can very much negatively impact recovery from workouts and eventual performance, so it’s important to think about how much your performance means to you when choosing to drink or not to drink. Having a glass of wine when you go out to dinner on a Saturday night is fine, but having one every evening or going hard on the weekends can very much set you up for some terrible-feeling runs and races. There is some individuality here too - you as an athlete probably know how you feel on a run after having a drink or two the night before. Use that knowledge, and the other health-related info I’m sharing, to make the best decision for you.
For general health
I’ll repeat my “less is more” advice here too. I think the research we have to date is pretty clear on the fact that even moderate alcohol intake (>1 drink per day for women, >2 for men) is a risk factor for certain chronic diseases and cancers, and that can’t be ignored. If you like alcohol, I’d recommend having it for special occasions, meals out and the like, and other evenings experimenting with tasty mocktails, herbal teas, kombucha (which I love in a wine glass) or flavored seltzers.
You also have to live your life!
So I don’t sound too much like a stick in the mud, it is also important to live your life and I do recognize that. Hell, going to college without alcohol would have made for a very different (and admittedly less fun) experience. Same for the wine tastings I’ve done in the Napa Valley and Sonoma, after work happy hours in my 20s, or the many post-marathon beers. I get that alcohol can have meaning, help people connect, and make a meal come together. But there should be a balance here that I think can be initially challenging to achieve in every day life sometimes. For example, dating! At least in New York circa 4-5 years ago, the first “drinks” date was pretty standard and I remember drinking way more than I normally would have because I wanted to be out and meeting people. Work dinners/drinks too, and even just the brunch cocktail/mimosa scene can really add up. I will tell you, though, that no one cares or notices if you have a club soda with lime or a mocktail after an evening begins, and that’s a great habit to get into if you are looking to cut down a bit and still do the things that are important to you.
Does this help to answer your questions? Let me know!
I also can’t say all of this without recognizing those who are struggling with their relationship to alcohol, well beyond the “just substitute for a mocktail or cut down a bit” recommendation. Here’s a good resource for help.
Also note: this post is for educational purposes only and not meant to serve as individual health advice. For more information on working with me, please visit my website.