How red wine may protect: Red wine is a rich source of active phytochemicals (plant chemicals) called polyphenols. Polyphenols are naturally found in the seeds and skins of grapes. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine because when white wine is made, the skins are removed after the grapes are crushed. The polyphenols found in red wine are the naturally occurring antioxidants known as flavonoid and resveratrol. These antioxidants help clear cancer-causing free radicals from the body. Resveratrol also functions as an anti-inflammatory agent, inhibiting enzymes that promote tumor development and cancer cell proliferation. The flavonoid present in red wine may be effective against cancer during the initiation, promotion, and progression phases.
Colorectal cancer and red wine: According to one report published by the American College of Gastroenterology, consuming three or more glasses of red wine per week may reduce a person’s risk of developing colorectal cancer. In a New York study that included 1,700 people who underwent routine colorectal cancer screening, 10 percent of those patients who did not drink alcohol had colorectal cancer, while only 3.4 percent of patients who routinely drank red wine had colorectal cancer. However, finding published in a 2009 meta-analysis in the Annals of Oncology indicated that those who drank more than one alcoholic beverage per day had a higher relative risk of colorectal cancer than did nondrinkers.
Prostate cancer and red wine: According to a 2004 study conducted by investigators at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, men who drank four or more glasses of wine per week reduced the risk of prostate cancer by 50 percent. Moreover, there was a 60 percent lower incidence of aggressive types of prostate cancer. Resveratrol, according to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, may reduce circulating testosterone levels. This is important because circulating testosterone can promote prostate cancer cell growth. In 2013, a meta-analysis published in the Central European Journal of Urology suggested that resveratrol has the potential to prevent prostate cancer but stated that the appropriate dose has yet to be found.
Leukemia and red wine: Resveratrol also appears to be effective in causing apoptosis, cancer cell death, in patients with leukemias. Resveratrol may work by inhibiting deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis in the leukemia cells, which causes cell death.
However, numerous studies have shown associations between alcohol consumption and elevated risk of developing head and neck, gastrointestinal, liver, and breast cancers, as well as colorectal cancers among heavy drinkers. Thus, even as debate over the effectiveness red wine, or at least its component resveratrol, in preventing some cancers continues, the risk of developing other cancers remains.
"Alcohol and Cancer Risk." Cancer.gov. Natl. Cancer Inst., Natl. Inst. of Health, 24 June 2013. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.
Jasiński, Milosz, Lidia Jasiński, and Marcin Ogrodowczyk. "Resveratrol in Prostate Diseases – A Short Review." Central European Journal of Urology 66.2 (2013): 144–49. PDF file.
"Resveratrol." Health Library. EBSCO, Sept. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.
Semba, Richard D., et al. "Resveratrol Levels and All-Cause Mortality in Older Community-Dwelling Adults." JAMA Internal Medicine 174.7 (2014): 1077–84. PDF file.
Snowden, Rebecca Viksnins. "Even Moderate Alcohol Use Increases Risk of Certain Cancers in Women."Cancer.org. Amer. Cancer Soc., 25 Feb. 2009. Web. 21 Oct. 2014.
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