Breast Cancer Resources Center

As studies have shown, estrogen is the hormone that fuels 80% of breast cancer cases.
Any type of alcohol, be it beer, wine, spirits or something else can change hormonal levels. It is important to note that it is not the alcohol (in say wine) that protects you, but the flavonoids and antioxidants. What determines risk the the alcohol itself and the quantity in which it is consumed.

As a general rule a safe guideline for alcohol consumption is five ounces of wine, twelve ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of liquor. That breaks down to around one drink per day. If you have two your risk for developing breast cancer increases by 10%, and having three drinks will increase that risk to 30%.

In fact this equals smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Regular drinking raises your estrogen level, thereby exposing your breast tissue and can activate the cells to become cancerous.

As a rule, alcohol should be avoided if you are addicted, are or could become pregnant, have a medical condition that is affected by alcohol or re taking any medication that could have side effects when mixed with alcohol.

Studies have shown that women who do not drink alcohol are at a much lower risk for developing breast cancer than those that start. Similarly, those that drink alcohol heavily or to excess ("falling down drunk") consistently (more than two or three times per day) are at a much greater risk.

To minimize the effect of alcohol as a risk factor, the strategy is simple. Drink moderately and not in great quantities, never drink when pregnant. You may even choose to not drink alcohol altogether, instead drinking sparkling juice or alcohol free wine and beer. Ultimately, as we have seen, in very moderate quantities, alcohol can help you decrease your risk, but overindulgence can have the opposite effect.