Quick Read:
- Avoid beer, pre-mixed drinks, and cheap wine. These are often the highest in sugar, inflammation, toxins, chemicals, and so forth.
- Dry ciders, quality wine, and clear spirits are better options. Most of the time, they contain the least amount of sugar, additives, and toxins.
- Enjoy it all, just be strategic about how much, why, and what you are choosing.
Disclaimer: We are not encouraging you to drink even a drop of alcohol. However, if you want to enjoy some libations (and your medical team approves) during your healing journey, we offer the following suggestions.
Celebrations and traditions are a beautiful part of life. Gathering with friends and raising a toast, making grandma’s pie recipe together, pouring peppermint schnapps into hot cocoa, and alcohol and sugar are everywhere you look during the next few months.
However, there’s the obvious evidence that science proves (read this blog [1]) that enjoying fun and meaningful moments with friends and family is deeply healing and essential for mental health, feeling loved, and getting through the hard times.
We are all for it. Cherish your loved ones, special gatherings, and do not feel guilty about raising a (not 6!) glass to life! Life is for living BIG, even when healing from cancer. Enjoy it all, just be strategic about how much, why, and what you are choosing.
Alcohol and Breast Cancer Healing: What to avoid and enjoy sparingly.
Put simply, alcohol is a modifiable risk factor. It is within our power to reduce the volume, the frequency, or eliminate it. If it is something you know you should not partake in for a variety of reasons, then keep on being the sober queen you are. But if a glass of wine makes your life a little finer, then keep on reading to learn about which types of drinks are better for your mind, body, and soul now and year-round.
The Breast Cancer Conqueror Alcohol Cheat Sheet
We are Wellness Warriors who live in reality, and stressing (click here [2] to learn more about stress) about every little thing you eat, drink, or do is often worse than actually indulging every now and then. Life and healing are about balance. One glass a month won’t make a difference in your healing journey, no matter what it is. However, a few drinks every night will definitely cause harm, no matter the state of your health.
Therefore, think of drinking a glass of your favorite libation as a part of a special ritual, not a weekend habit.
Alcohol to avoid
Beer: It is one of the most acidic and inflammatory types of alcohol. It has estrogenic compounds that can disrupt hormone balance, which is particularly risky for breast cancer prevention or recovery. The yeast and fermentation byproducts are also known to cause “leaky gut,” which can bring down your immune system.
Pre-mixed drinks: We are talking the trendy White Claw, Cutwater Spirits, Truly cans lining the shelves. The front may claim “only 100 calories!” But the truth is, they are loaded with sugar that feeds the same metabolic pathways cancer cells use to grow. Additionally, they often use sucralose, aspartame, or acesulfame K, all of which disrupt gut microbiome balance and can interfere with detox pathways. Even scarier, “Natural flavors” is an unregulated catch-all that can include hundreds of chemical flavoring agents derived from solvents and petroleum bases.
Cheap wine: It is made with conventional grapes, often contains added sulfites, chemical clarifiers, and up to 76 unlisted additives.
Alcohol to rarely enjoy
Cider: Look for “dry” or “brut” ciders that are organic or unfiltered, or contain “no added sulfites,” as they are lower in sugars and artificial ingredients. Oftentimes, a regular cider can contain 15-25 grams of sugar per serving, which spikes insulin, feeds yeast, and drives inflammation. Click here [3] to learn more about why and how to balance your blood sugars, and then read this blog on inflammation [4].
Clear spirits: Stick to simple mixes like sparkling mineral water and fresh lime and muddled herbs
- Tequila blanco is made from 100% blue agave (not “mixto” tequila, which can contain sugars and additives).
- Vodka that’s organic or potato-based, free from artificial flavors.
- Gin made with natural botanicals and minimal added sugar.
Wine: Try to buy organic, low-sugar, and natural.
- Natural wine generally means minimal intervention, native yeast fermentation, and few additives—but grapes can still be conventionally grown (and sprayed with pesticides).
- Organic wine guarantees the grapes are grown without synthetic chemicals.
Alcohol to enjoy on special occasions
Wine: Dry Farms Wine [5] is Dr. V’s go-to since they source their wines from small, non-toxic vineyards that produce sugar-free, no-additive wine. *Cheers* to that!
Their exquisite, naturally produced, small-batch wines are good for you and the earth, and every bottle is lab-tested by an independent enologist. Pure Natural Wine is rare, so rare that about 0.01% of the world’s wine meets the strict criteria.
[5]
What The Research Says About Alcohol and Breast Cancer.
Of course, you know that alcohol itself is not good for your healing journey, but if you are curious about the latest research, here are some studies to review:
- A 2024 meta-analysis [6] of 53 studies found that each additional ~10 g/day of alcohol (about one drink) was linked to about a 7% higher risk of breast cancer.
- A large prospective study [7] found that increasing alcohol consumption was associated with increasing breast cancer risk, with statistically significant increases at as low as 5–9.9 g/day (≈3–6 drinks/week).
- Red vs. white wine: Newer population data examining cancer risk found no meaningful difference between red and white wine for overall cancer risk; myth-busting pieces from cancer orgs say the same for breast cancer specifically. (2025 Study [8])
The Wellness Warrior’s Mindful Mocktail.
If you still want the experience of a refreshing beverage but don’t want to include actual alcohol, enjoy our strategically crafted mocktail. It’s delightful and perfect for the whole family, from ages 1 to 101!
Ingredients:
- 6 Fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon of Stevia drops
- 2 oz. Organic cranberry juice (opt for a low-sugar option)
- 1 oz. Organic apple juice or non-alcoholic apple cider
- ½ oz. Lime juice
- You pick: A splash of sparkling water or ginger beer
Instructions:
- Muddle the mint leaves and a few drops of stevia into the cup
- Add the lime, cranberry, and apple juice with some ice and shake well. You can do this in a shaker or a mason jar with a lid.
- Stain into a glass filled with ice, then add your choice of cranberries, mint, and/or lime for garnish.
Celebrate Your Life, Mindfully.
Celebrate you, your achievements, your family’s traditions, and your loved ones. Indulge in all the support, love, and joy that come from celebratory moments. If raising a glass is part of it, do it mindfully and skip the guilt or worry. For example, choosing a cleaner wine is just one smart move (not perfect, not zero risk), but a much better one.
So here’s to you: cherishing life, choosing wellness, and pouring a glass only when it truly adds to your story—and know that we are all cheers-ing to you!