• Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  • Subscribe
Dr. Weil Logo Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
Press "Enter" to search
Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
  • Health & Wellness
    Health & Wellness
    Body, Mind & Spirit
    • Addiction
    • Allergy & Asthma
    • Autoimmune Disorders
    • Back Pain
    • Bone & Joint
    • Cancer
    • Colds & Flu
    • Dental & Oral
    • Diabetes
    • Disease & Disorders
    • Ears, Nose, & Throat
    • Feet
    • Gastrointestinal
    • Hair, Skin, & Nails
    • Headache
    • Heart
    • Insects & Parasites
    • Liver & Kidney
    • Mental Health
    • Pregnancy & Fertility
    • Respiratory
    • Sexual Health
    • Sleep Issues
    • Stress & Anxiety
    • Vision
    Balanced Living
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Gardening
    • Healthy Home
    • Healthy Living
    • Meditation & Inspiration
    • Meet Dr. Weil
    • Pets & Pet Care
    • Technology
    • Wellness Therapies
    Health Centers
    • Aging Gracefully
    • Children
    • Condition Care Guide
    • Men
    • Women
  • Diet & Nutrition
    Diet & Nutrition
    Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Pyramid
    Cooking & Cookware
    Diets & Weight Loss
    Food Safety
    Nutrition
    Recipes
  • Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Vitamins, Supplements & Herbs
    Herbs
    Supplements & Remedies
    Vitamins
  • Ask Dr. Weil
  • Blogs
    Blogs
    Bulletins
    Health Tips
    Spontaneous Happiness
  • Mushrooms
  • Sleep
  • Weil Nutrition Corner
  • Meet Dr. Weil
  • Origins
  • Healthy Aging
  • Marketplace
  • Podcasts
  • Accessibility
  1. Home
  2. Health & Wellness
  3. Body, Mind & Spirit
  4. Cancer

Does Drinking Wine Cause Cancer?

I enjoy a glass of wine most days, but I’ve heard that it presents the same cancer risk as smoking. Is this really true?

Andrew Weil, M.D. | May 3, 2019

Does Drinking Wine Cause Cancer? | Cancer | Andrew Weil, M.D.
2 min

A study from the UK published in March (2019) found that drinking a bottle of wine per week presents the same risk of cancer as smoking five to 10 cigarettes per week. According to the study’s corresponding author, Theresa J. Hydes of the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, the intent was to determine “purely in terms of cancer risk –  …how many cigarettes are there in a bottle of wine.” The study showed that the equivalent is five cigarettes for men and 10 for women.

The investigators hoped to draw public attention to the fact that drinking moderate amounts of alcohol – such as a bottle of wine per week – can increase the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer. Men are at greater risk of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. In non-smoking men, drinking one bottle of wine weekly increases the lifetime risk of cancer by one percent. For women it adds up to 1.4 percent.

The study also showed that drinking three bottles of wine per week (approximately a half a bottle daily) is linked to an absolute increase of lifetime cancer risk for men of 1.9 percent and in women, 3.6 percent meaning that an additional 19 of 1,000 men would develop cancer as would 36 of 1,000 women. That increase would be equivalent to the risk posed by smoking about eight cigarettes per week for men and 23 cigarettes per week for women.

Dr. Hydes said that the study did not determine that drinking alcohol in moderation is in any way equivalent to smoking. “Our (findings) relate to lifetime risk across the population. At an individual level, cancer risk represented by drinking or smoking will vary.” She added that for many people the impact of one bottle of wine or five to 10 cigarettes may be very different. We have known that heavy drinking is linked to cancer of the mouth, throat, voice box, bowel, liver and breast. The study didn’t take into account any other health risks posed by smoking or drinking alcohol, such as cardiovascular, respiratory or liver disease.

Many people in the U.S. as well as the UK are unaware of the cancer risk posed by drinking alcohol. In November 2017 the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), an organization of the nation’s leading cancer specialists, released results of a survey of 4,016 Americans showing that fewer than one in three were aware of it. ASCO made the point that drinkers face higher risks than nondrinkers for developing cancers of the throat, larynx, esophagus, breast, liver, and colon. The more you drink and the longer you’ve been drinking, the higher your risk, especially of head and neck cancers.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Source:
Theresa J. Hydes et al, “A comparison of gender-linked population cancer risks between alcohol and tobacco: how many cigarettes are there in a bottle of wine?” BMC Public Health, March 28, 2019 doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6576-9

Read more tips, recipes, and insights on a wide variety of topics from Dr. Weil here.

is white wine dangerous
Addiction

Is White Wine Dangerous?

White wine with salmon salad at the background
Bulletins

White Wine And Rosacea

Advertisement
Related Weil Products

Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging for Socializing

If you want to jumpstart your social connections, join the Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging online guide. It has a vibrant, active community of like-minded thinkers and a dedicated moderator to help guide you along. Start your 14-day free trial now!
Get Started
Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging

Start Your 14-Day Free Trial

Free Newsletters

Stay Connected With Dr. Weil

Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Follow Dr. Weil’s Food Pyramid

Get Dr Weils Newsletter Updates

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

Dr. Weil's FREE health living advice delivered to you!

By clicking "Subscribe," you agree to the DrWeil.com Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive emails from DrWeil.com, and you may opt out of DrWeil.com subscriptions at any time.

Trending Now

3-d mammograms
Cancer

3-D Mammograms?

a better test for breast cancer
Cancer

A Better Test For Breast Cancer?

HDL Cholesterol & LDL Cholesterol: What They Mean | Heart Health | Andrew Weil, M.D.
Cancer

A Blood Test for Breast Cancer?

a test for ovarian cancer
Cancer

A Test for Ovarian Cancer?

Dr. Weil Logo Weil™ Andrew Weil, M.D.
Dr. Weil's Signature

Exclusive Lifestyle, Nutrition & Health Advice

  • About Us
  • Press Information
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Information on this website is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. Any third party offering or advertising on this website does not constitute an endorsement by Andrew Weil, M.D. or Healthy Lifestyle Brands.

© Copyright 2025 Healthy Lifestyle Brands, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. www.drweil.com