Recipes that include varying amounts of alcohol are common in almost all nations around the globe. Traditional SAD diets (i.e. standard American, Australian and, of course, New Zealand’s own Aotearoa diet) often include a whiff of fermented juice in some form.
Surprisingly (although never in a recipe from Whole Food Living), some whole food plant-based (WFPB) advocates still throw a small amount of alcohol into their gastronomic delights, but:
- Is it healthy?
- Doesn’t it evaporate when you cook it?
Before we consider some disturbing science around this subject, it’s worth reflecting on just how we’ve come to accept and incorporate alcohol into the foods we eat. The idea that it should be there goes back thousands of years, according to Scott Galbiati in his online piece, The Spirited History of Ethanol in Cooking and Baking.
“Ethanol, the alcohol found in beverages, made its way into our kitchens as early as the Neolithic period (around 4000 BC) when humans first discovered the process of fermentation. Fermented foods, like bread and cheese, were the first examples of ethanol’s culinary usage. As civilisations evolved, so did their mastery of fermentation, leading to the production of alcoholic beverages like wine, beer, and mead,” he says.
As with art, the Renaissance period proved to be a “pivotal period” for ethanol in cooking as distillation was refined to create high-proof alcohols like brandy, whiskey and rum.
Today, ethanol in cooking is used to do everything from food preservation to flavouring to dough leavening, where alcohol is used to limit gluten formation, ensuring a flaky crust in recipes like pie and tart doughs.
But is it healthy?
In a word: No.
For those who prefer a more nuanced response, we could add that while it has become embedded in global cultures and drinking it is often perceived as a socially acceptable or beneficial practice, it doesn’t make it healthy.
Mounting scientific evidence underscores its profound risks to physical and mental health and easily debunks longstanding myths about its purported benefits.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen directly linked to at least seven cancers:
Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis:
- Acetaldehyde: This metabolite damages DNA and inhibits repair mechanisms.
- Oxidative Stress: Alcohol generates free radicals, promoting cellular mutations.
- Hormonal Disruption: Ethanol elevates estrogen levels, fueling hormone-sensitive cancers like breast cancer.
- Nutrient Malabsorption: Alcohol depletes folate and antioxidants, critical for DNA integrity.
- Specific Cancer Risks:
- Breast Cancer: Even 1 drink/day increases risk by 4–13%, per the American Cancer Society.
- Colorectal Cancer: 1.5x higher risk in regular drinkers.
- Liver Cancer: Cirrhosis and hepatitis B/C synergize with alcohol to accelerate malignancy.
- Upper Digestive Tract: Ethanol erodes mucosal linings, heightening risks for oral, oesophagal, and laryngeal cancers.
Importantly, the risk escalates with dosage but persists even at low levels. A 2023 WHO report concluded that 741,000 global cancer cases annually are attributable to alcohol.
Alcohol in cooking
While it’s a common belief that all alcohol evaporates during cooking, the reality is more nuanced. Although heat does reduce alcohol content, trace amounts often remain, depending on cooking time, temperature, and method. Here’s a breakdown of the science and risks:
Ethanol (the alcohol in beverages) boils at 78.3°C (173°F), but evaporation is gradual and incomplete even at higher temperatures. Studies show:
- Flambé or brief heating: Up to 75% of alcohol may remain.
- Simmering for 15 minutes: 40% remains.
- Baking/simmering for 1 hour: 25% remains.
- After 2.5 hours: 5% may still linger.
(Source: USDA’s Nutrient Data Lab)
Even in slow-cooked dishes (e.g., stews, sauces), residual alcohol can persist, though in small quantities.
What about a splash?
A splash of wine in a pasta sauce or beer in a batter is unlikely to harm most adults. However, sensitive groups should avoid even trace amounts:
- Pregnancy: No safe threshold exists for foetal alcohol exposure.
- Recovery from addiction: Even tiny amounts could trigger cravings.
- Religious/medical abstainers: Alcohol use, even cooked, may conflict with beliefs or health conditions (e.g., liver disease).
While cooking reduces ethanol content, habitual recipe use might contribute to cumulative exposure (though minimal per serving). Alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, and any acetaldehyde (a carcinogenic metabolite) exposure poses some risk.
