| An Antioxidant Component in Red Wine May Be Protective of Lung Cancer |
 Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, according to the journal of the American Association for Cancer Research."An antioxidant component in red wine may be protective of lung cancer, particularly among smokers," said Chun Chao, Ph.D., a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, California. Chao analyzed data collected through the California Men's Health Study, which linked clinical data from California's health system with self-reported data from 84,170 men aged 45 to 69 years. Researchers obtained demographics and lifestyle data from surveys computed between 2000 and 2003, and identified 210 cases of lung cancer. Researchers measured the effect of beer, red wine, white wine and liquor consumption on the risk of lung cancer. Adjustments were made for age, race/ethnicity, education, income, body mass index, history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, and smoking history. No clear associations with lung cancer were noted for consumption of white wine, beer, or liquor. "Red wine is known to contain high levels of antioxidants. There is a compound called resveratrol that is very rich in red wine because it is derived from the grape skin. This compound has shown significant health benefits in preclinical studies," Chao said. Chao said their findings should not be construed to recommend heavy alcohol consumption. References: 1. Chun Chao, et al. Red wine may lower lung cancer risk. American Association for Cancer Research. October 2008. 2. Image by RINAJO.DK |
