Drinking certain amounts of red wine could increase your cancer risk (Image: GETTY)
Your favourite tipple could be upping your overall cancer risk, according to a new study.
Researchers have scrutinised the results of over 40 studies examining the risks and benefits of red and white wine, particularly how it affects cancer risk.
Published in the journal found the often-praised anti-cancer properties of red wine may not outweigh the risk posed by the alcoholic drink depending on how much you drink.
Reviewing numerous studies, researchers discovered: “Every additional 10 (grams) of estimated ethanol (e.g., about one glass) from red wine per day was associated with a 5% increase in overall cancer risk.”
This finding was particularly noticeable when they analysed case-control data but when they shifted their focus to cohort studies, this association disappeared.
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In conclusion, researchers determined that in the debate over which wine is healthier, both wines had a similar cancer risk.
The only distinction they could see was that white wine was held a higher risk of skin cancer.
The researchers issued a statement asserting: “Our findings provided a critical public health message that drinking red wine may not be any better than drinking white wine in terms of cancer risk.
“However, we added an important finding to the controversial conversation about whether red wine intake reduces cancer risk.”
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Whilst red wine is often touted for its high polyphenol and resveratrol content, which have both been identified as anti-cancer compounds, it appears that its alcohol content may negate these benefits due to alcohol’s known cancer risk increase.
Resveratrol’s properties in combating cancer have led to research into its use as a chemopreventive agent, targeting the proliferation of cells in cancers such as those of the breast and kidney.
However, resveratrol is broken down so quickly that an average 70kg person would need two glasses of red wine a day to get barely noticeable levels in their body.
The study went on to comment: “These low levels of resveratrol after consuming red wine may not result in bio-effective concentrations that may eventually make differences in health outcomes compared to white wine consumption.”