I Rarely Drink, But When I Do? It's Blanco Tequila. Here's Why:

Setting: beach vacation. It’s July 4th, and I’m on vacation with great friends, watching the sun melt into honey and purple rays across the sky.

Look, when you’re in a moment like this, the rules get a little flexible. So I broke my  “I pretty much don’t drink anymore” protocol (can you blame me?) with half to one drink most nights we were out.

And what was I drinking? Blanco tequila.  

I wanted to have a grown-up conversation with you about alcohol, specifically tequila, because the last thing you need is a doctor telling you that “alcohol is a toxin” (you know this already).

But people are going to drink. So, if you’re going to have that cocktail, let’s chat about why tequila gets the gold star for being the “least bad” option.

Why Is Alcohol Bad For You?

I say “least bad” intentionally. All alcohol is problematic to some degree. There’s no such thing as a “healthy drink” (and anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something).

• Here’s Why: All alcohol is ethanol. When you consume it, your body drops everything to process it because it can’t store alcohol. The ethanol moves to your liver, where it’s turned into acetaldehyde (a known carcinogen), and then turns into acetic acid, which your body uses as a fuel source.

This toxic journey happens whether you’re drinking Veuve Clicquot, chardonnay, or bottom-shelf vodka. So when we’re talking about “better” alcohol choices, we’re really asking: Which option causes the least damage?

Why Tequila Causes The Least Damage

Tequila’s no angel. But it does have a slight upper hand on other alcohols:

• It’s made from agave instead of grains. 100% agave tequila is distilled from the blue agave plant instead of wheat, barley, or corn. This makes it gluten-free and lower in congeners (byproducts of fermentation that can worsen hangovers).
• Lower sugar (if sipped straight). If you sip pure tequila, you avoid the additives you’d find in cheap mixed liquors or sugary cocktails. Less sugar means less of a brutal hangover.

Think about it: A standard shot (1.5 ounces) of tequila has about 97 calories and zero carbs, fat, or protein. But a margarita? That can easily balloon to 300-500 calories once you factor in all the mixers.

Does Tequila Spike Your Blood Sugar Less?

Chances are, you’ve heard the buzz that agavins, the natural sugars in agave, can help regulate blood sugar. That’s true…if you’re a lab mouse. The study everyone references was small and done on rodents, and forgive me for stating the obvious, but we are not rodents.

Plus, those beneficial agavins don’t survive the fermentation process. By the time you’re sipping (or downing) your tequila, most of its sugars have been converted into ethanol.

• Pro Tip: If you want the potential benefits of agave, try raw agave syrup. No tequila shots here.

Opt For Lighter Liquor

Blanco tequila is part of the “clear spirits” club. Along with gin and vodka, these lighter liquors usually have fewer congeners than their darker cousins (*cough* whiskey and rum).

• Science Says: Research suggests that alcoholic beverages with more congeners usually cause a worse hangover than drinks with fewer.

Tequila Still Has a Cancer Risk

Tequila isn’t getting a free pass. It’s still alcohol, which the World Health Organization has classified alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen (that’s the same category as tobacco and asbestos).

“But what if I drink ‘moderately’?” Even a few glasses a month increases your risk of cancers in the breast, esophagus, liver, colon, and more.

• Science Says: A study found that 741,300 cancer cases in 2020 (about 4.1% of the global total that year) could be attributed to alcohol consumption.

My “Doctorly” Advice on Drinking Tequila

If you’re going to indulge, here’s my “doctorly” advice:

• Go for 100% blue agave tequila to avoid additives.
• Sip it straight on ice with fresh lime or my favorite, a slice of orange. (In my opinion, because you’re sipping straight tequila, you’ll also probably drink less because it’s not as crushable as a sweet mixed drink or glass of wine, which most of us can consume faster, and then consume MORE.)
• Take it easy after, as your liver needs a break to repair the DNA damage (yes, even if you’ve just had one glass).
• Hydrate before, during, and after.