| Red Wine May Have a Potential Role in Breast Cancer Prevention |
 Laboratory research has shown that resveratrol found in red wine and red grapes suppresses the abnormal cell formation that leads to most types of breast cancer, suggesting a potential role in breast cancer prevention. Resveratrol has the ability to block the formation of the estrogen DNA adducts, which prevent the first step that occurs when estrogen starts the process that leads to breast cancer. In the study, Eleanor G. Rogan, Ph.D., a professor in the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, and colleagues measured the effect of resveratrol on cellular functions known to contribute to breast cancer. The formation of breast cancer is a multi-step process that differs depending on type of disease, a patient's genetic makeup and other factors. Fairly low concentrations of resveratrol were used to stop the formation of these DNA adducts in the cells that were studied. Although researchers experimented with up to 100 µmol/L of resveratrol, the suppression of DNA adducts was seen with 10 µmol/L. A glass of red wine contains between 9 and 28 µmol/L of resveratrol. The researchers also found that resveratrol suppressed the expression of CYP1B1 and the formation of 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, two known risk factors for breast cancer. Resveratrol works by inducing an enzyme called quinone reductase, which reduces the estrogen metabolite back to inactive form. By making estrogen inactive, resveratrol decreases the associated risk. The current study was conducted in laboratory cultures, and will need to be confirmed in larger human trials. Resveratrol is also sold in extract form as a dietary supplement and is available from GNC. References: 1. Eleanor G. Rogan, et al, Researchers Identify Cancer Preventive Properties in Common Dietary Supplement. American Association for Cancer Research. 2. Image by Polifemus More Articles on Cancer
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