Can You Drink Alcohol and Still Heal?

A gut-centered, non-dogmatic look at wine, health, and bio-individuality

For a long time, I believed healing meant total abstinence.

When I was first diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, alcohol was one of the first things to go. And honestly — that part was harder than I expected. I genuinely enjoy a good glass of red wine or a quality scotch, but my body made it very clear: not right now.

At the time, my liver was overwhelmed, my gut was inflamed, and my nervous system was running on fumes. Alcohol simply added to the load.

What I didn’t realize back then was that this wasn’t a forever rule — it was a context problem.

Over time, as my foundations improved, I was able to reintroduce wine thoughtfully. And what surprised me most wasn’t just that I could tolerate it — it was how much the type of wine mattered.

This is where the conversation around alcohol and health usually goes wrong.

The real question isn’t “Is alcohol bad?”

The question is:

Bad for whom, in what context, and under what conditions?

Some people truly feel better without alcohol, period. Others can enjoy it occasionally without noticeable downside. And many people sit somewhere in between — reacting less to alcohol itself and more to what’s in it, how often, and what state their body is already in.

This is bio-individuality in action.

If your digestion, blood sugar, liver function, and nervous system are already under strain, alcohol often becomes the tipping point. If those systems are supported, the same glass of wine can land very differently.

If you want a deeper explanation of why the “same” food (or drink) can produce wildly different outcomes depending on what’s happening underneath, you’ll like Why Foundations Change Outcomes.

Alcohol, the gut, and why foundations matter

Alcohol affects the gut in several ways:

It can increase intestinal permeability (often called “leaky gut”)
It places a detox burden on the liver
It influences the nervous system, especially sleep quality
It can feed problematic microbes when sugar and additives are present

But here’s the nuance most conversations miss:

Not all wine is created equal.

Many negative reactions people associate with “alcohol” are actually responses to:

residual sugar
industrial additives
pesticides
lab-engineered yeasts
higher alcohol content
or fermentation byproducts that weren’t properly broken down

This is why two people can drink the same amount — or even the same type of alcohol — and have completely different outcomes.

Wine, the microbiome, and what’s actually helpful

Naturally fermented wines contain compounds that interact with the gut microbiome, including:

Polyphenols, which may support microbial diversity
Native yeasts, which are largely absent in heavily processed wines
Fermentation byproducts that differ dramatically depending on how the wine is made

In traditional winemaking, fermentation is allowed to complete fully, and the wine isn’t aggressively filtered or chemically altered afterward. In contrast, many commercial wines are stripped, stabilized, and modified — removing much of what made them biologically interesting in the first place.

This doesn’t mean wine is a probiotic food or a health supplement. It means some wines are simply less inflammatory than others, especially when consumed in moderation and in a well-supported body.

When wine tends to be a problem

Wine — even high-quality wine — is more likely to cause issues when:

blood sugar is unstable
the liver is already overloaded
gut dysbiosis is active
sleep is compromised
stress levels are high
alcohol is used as a nervous system coping tool

In these cases, removing alcohol temporarily often creates real relief. That doesn’t mean it has to be a moral decision or a permanent identity shift — it can simply be a strategic pause.

If you suspect stress physiology is the hidden driver of your symptoms (including food and alcohol reactivity), read The Nervous System Is the Gatekeeper.

Choosing wine more thoughtfully

If and when alcohol is reintroduced, quality matters.

I personally prioritize wines that are:

fully fermented and very low in residual sugar
lab tested for purity
made without industrial additives
lower in alcohol
produced using native yeasts

This is why I’ve chosen to drink wines from Dry Farm Wines for years. They independently lab test every bottle and source wines that meet strict criteria around sugar, alcohol content, additives, and farming practices.

For those who prefer a domestic, lab-tested selection, there are also thoughtfully curated options available from producers who prioritize transparency and purity — this collection includes some good ones as well.

The bigger picture

Wine isn’t medicine. But it also doesn’t need to be demonized.

Health isn’t built by rigid rules — it’s built by context, foundations, and honest feedback from your body.

If alcohol feels like it consistently sets you back, that information matters. If you can enjoy a glass of well-made wine occasionally without consequence, that matters too.

Healing isn’t about being perfect. It’s about learning how to listen — and choosing inputs that support the direction you’re trying to go.

Cheers to nuance, real food, and informed choices.
— Brenna