Published Aug 5, 2021

‘Red Table Talk’ Host Jada Pinkett Smith Used To Drink 3 Bottles Of Wine Before She Gave Up Alcohol: How Going Cold Turkey Can Cut Cancer Risk

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Alcohol & Cancer Risk

In the latest episode of Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith shared that she decided to quit drinking alcohol after finding herself drinking three bottles of wine regularly.
A SurvivorNet study found that women are drinking more as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and majority of women don’t know excessive drinking increases the risk of cancer.
Research has found that women who drink more than about three drinks in one day are at a one and a half times higher risk of developing breast cancer than non-drinkers.

Actress and host of Red Table Talk, Jada Pinkett Smith, 49, recently opened up about her past struggles with alcohol abuse and the reason why she decided to go cold turkey. According to Smith, she would regularly consume three bottles of wine when she drank, which made her realize she needed to quit. When it comes to prioritizing your health and reducing your cancer risk, cutting back on alcohol can make a huge difference.

On the latest episode of Red Table Talk, Smith talked to her co-hosts Adrienne Banfield Norris and Willow Smith (her daughter) about the rise of alcohol intake due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the discussion, Smith shared a very personal story about her decision to quit drinking after she found herself drinking three bottles of wine regularly. “Once I was going for that third bottle of wine, I said, ‘you’ve got a problem,’ and it was cold turkey that day. That day I just stopped,” Smith said. (Please consult your doctor if you feel you have an alcohol problem so you can discuss the best approach to moderation or quitting.)

Smith is right in her statement that alcohol consumption has gone significantly up since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. Research has proven that excessive alcohol intake is linked to increased risk of certain types of cancers, and a recent study from The Lancet Oncology found that more than 700,000 new cases of cancer worldwide in 2020 were attributable to alcohol consumption. In addition to excessive drinking, people’s diet and exercise routines have taken huge hits as a result of the pandemic. The combination of alcohol, poor diet, and lack of exercise significantly increases our risk of cancer.

Dr. Elizabeth Comen explains how lifestyle can influence cancer risk

Alcohol & Cancer

Although there’s no evidence that alcohol directly causes cancer, it has been proven that excessive drinking puts us at higher risk of a cancer diagnosis. In a number of studies looking at breast cancer risk, researchers concluded that women who drank more than about three drinks in one day were at a one and a half times higher risk of developing breast cancer than non-drinkers.

“Binge drinking, it’s not good for anybody,” Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, previously told SurvivorNet. “It’s also not good for a woman’s increased risk of breast cancer. So patients ask me this all the time ‘well, how much can I drink?’ If you want to have absolutely no risk from alcohol, then don’t drink at all. But probably having less than four glasses a week of alcohol is probably okay.”

In addition to breast cancer, there’s also been research to link excessive drinking to colon cancer. Experts have told SurvivorNet that they believe high levels of alcohol can predispose people to certain types of cancers including pancreatic, liver, and colon. Additionally, the amount of alcohol you drink may influence surgery for colon cancer.

So, when winding down your evening with a much-deserved cocktail just keep moderation in mind.

Dr. Elizabeth Comen breaks down the link between alcohol and breast cancer

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