Red wine and cancer

Every daily glass of red wine reduces the risk of getting lung cancer by about 13 per cent, a study revealed.

Here is some good news for wine drinkers, every daily glass of red wine reduces the risk of getting lung cancer by about 13 per cent, a new study conducted at a Spanish hospital has found.

The study, which was reported by the British Medical Journal, studied the link between alcohol consumption and its impact on cancer and found that only red wine was beneficial, whereas drinks like beer had no effect on cancer, while white wine actually had an opposite effect.

The researchers are now putting down the beneficial effect of red wine to the fact that it contains tannins, which have antioxidant properties, and resveratrol, which has been shown to stifle tumor development and growth in experimental research.

The study, however does not imply that people should start consuming more red wine as excess consumption of any kind of alcohol is bound to be harmful and might cause other kinds of cancers.

"There is strong evidence that regularly drinking large amounts of alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx, pharynx, and oesophagus," says specialist Professor Tim Key.