The idea that regular, moderate wine consumption carries health benefits and can result in greater longevity is arguably as old as the libation itself.
Ancient civilizations like the Sumerians and Egyptians, whom many believe were the first people to document the health benefits of wine between 2200-2100 BCE, found a wide variety of health benefits and medicinal applications for the drink, even using it to treat conditions such as asthma and epilepsy.
For red wine in particular, heart health has been touted as a key benefit of moderate consumption. Many even believe that red wine can offer some degree of protection against cancer due to the large amounts of resveratrol it contains, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties.
But does a glass a day truly keep the doctor away?
Recently, researchers from the Brown University School of Public Health have challenged these long-held beliefs about wine; comparing the cancer risks associated with red and white wine in a meta-analysis study.
Surprising Results
For their study – the first of its kind in challenging the belief that red wine is healthier than white – the team at Brown analyzed 42 observational studies involving nearly 96,000 participants. Surprisingly, they found no clear evidence that red wine “mitigates cancer risk.” However, the study also found no overall increase to cancer risk from consuming wine regardless of type.
“We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to assess whether red wine is truly a healthier choice than white wine,” said Eunyoung Cho, associate professor of epidemiology and dermatology at Brown and co-lead on the study. “Our analysis included as many published epidemiological studies as possible that separately explored the relationship between red and white wine consumption and cancer risk. The results revealed no significant difference in cancer risk between red and white wine overall. However, we did observe a distinction when it came to skin cancer risk. Specifically, the consumption of white wine, but not red wine, was associated with an increased risk of skin cancer.”
As Cho notes, skin cancer was the outlier. The researchers determined that white wine carries an increased risk of skin cancer of 22% compared to red wine.
While the researchers note that the reasons for the increased cancer risk associated with white wine are unclear, the findings may suggest a correlation between heavy consumption and other high-risk behaviors, specifically noting indoor tanning and inadequate sunscreen use as examples.
But the team acknowledges that these factors still do not explain why white wine in particular carries a greater risk.
White Wine Consumption and Women
Researchers also found a “stronger association between white wine intake and increased overall cancer risk among women,” a finding they say warrants further investigation and study into the “underlying mechanisms.”
A Mixed Bag of Results
The Brown study offers arguably some of the most interesting findings related to alcohol and cancer risk in recent years. On one hand, the team effectively dispelled the myth that red wine can reduce cancer risk. They also found no overall increase to cancer risk associated with any type of wine.
However, white wine consumption was associated with an elevated risk of skin cancer for reasons that ultimately remain unclear and necessitate further study.
A Growing Area of Concern
Regardless of the study’s conclusions, one thing is clear – alcohol and cancer risk are in the spotlight and remain an area of significant concern across many of the world’s research centers.
In recent years, the link between alcohol consumption and cancer has become increasingly clear. Various studies have established a strong correlation between the two, largely attributed to alcohol’s ability to damage DNA, increase inflammation, and disrupt cell cycles – all contributors to cancer. At Breaking Caner News, we’ve covered many of these studies, as well as the societal shifts and changing attitudes toward the dangers of alcohol.
In January, the U.S. Surgeon General signaled further concern by issuing an advisory warning Americans that alcohol consumption carries an increased cancer risk and calling for an updated health warning label on alcoholic beverages.
The discussion around the link between alcohol and cancer is far from over.
