Although drinking large amounts of alcohol can have harmful effects on the body, moderate alcohol consumption, especially red wine, can enhance overall health, according to the Mayo Clinic website. Red wine is rich in antioxidants called polyphenols and resveratrol, both of which have shown beneficial effects on the heart. Besides keeping the heart healthy, red wine reduces the risk for prostate cancer and protects against liver disease.
Prostate Cancer
In a 2007 study conducted by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and published in "Harvard Men's Health Watch," scientists found that wine drinking reduced the risk for prostate cancer, and that red wine was more beneficial for reducing this risk than white wine. Scientists speculate that red wine's antioxidant properties might be the main reason for the results, according to the Science Daily website.
Lung Cancer
In a 2008 study conducted by the American Association for Cancer Research and published in the journal "Cancer Epidemiology," researchers investigated the effects of alcoholic beverages on lung cancer risk. Participants drinking one to two glasses of red wine reduced their lung cancer risk compared to those drinking white wine, beer and liquor in the same amount. Like the scientists in prostate cancer, researchers believe that red wine high antioxidant content was responsible for the results.
Liver Disease
Red wine antioxidants might protect against liver disease. In a 2008 study conducted at the San Diego School of Medicine, researchers discovered that one glass of red wine a day decreased the risk for liver disease due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Scientists noted that this finding can help decrease the number of liver disease patients in the future, which is expected to grow because of the obesity epidemic. (reference 4)
Pancreatic Cancer
Research indicates that red wine might destroy pancreatic cancer cells, according to the Nutra-Ingredients website. In a 2008 study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center, scientists discovered that pre-treating cancer cells with resveratrol resulted in cell death, which is the goal of cancer therapy. Further research is needed on the association between resveratrol and cancer cells.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Red wine and resveratrol: Good for your heart?
- Science Daily: Red Wine Protects The Prostate, Research Suggests
- Science Daily: Red Wine May Lower Lung Cancer Risk
- Nutra Ingredients: Red wine keeps liver healthy, suggests new study
- Nutra Ingredients: Red wine antioxidant may kill cancer cells
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