Red Wine – The Cancer Solution?

There are many health diagnosis that you just don’t want to hear when getting a checkup. One is worse than practically all others, however. Yep, cancer. So, is there much you can do to prevent it? Yes, and an old fable is proving to be true.

When it comes to health care, the world is full of interesting folksy theories on prevention. Eat this, wear that and so on. Of course, most of these guidelines simply do not work. Ah, but one of the bigger ones is starting to show real promise.

The French drink an absurd amount of red wine. They also eat horribly. They should have high incidents of heart disease and cancer. They do not. Many have concluded this means red wine must be a preventative drink.

Despite the rumor mill and media reports, the alleged power of red wine has never been proven. Well, that has recently changed. Surprisingly, the early results of studies on red wine show that it appears to actually help prevent certain cancers. Imagine that.

Studies are finding some interesting things about red wine. The issue is not so much the wine, but chemical found in it. Plants protect themselves with phytochemcials. Many of these chemicals are proving to be effective in prevention in humans as well.

It is important to understand white wine offers little preventative assistance. Polyphenols are located in the seeds and skin of grapes. These are used in the production of red wine, but not white wine, or at least not in significant amounts.

To understand the benefits of polyphenols, you have to understand free radicals. These buggers attack cells and mutate them, which is one way cancer comes about. Polyphenols block free radicals, acting as bodyguards for cells if you will.

Red wine also contains high levels of resveratrol. Resveratrol is an interesting polyphenol. It is used by plants to defend themselves against disease. Resveratrol has been found to significantly inhibit cancerous tumor growth in animals.

At first glance, it would appear that catechins, polyphenols and rseveratrol are the answer to our cancer problems. Maybe, but maybe not. Only a few studies have been conducted, so it is unwise to draw global conclusions. That being said, the results are positive.

The fear of most men is getting cancer in their prostate. It is a fairly aggressive form or cancer. Red wine appears to be helpful in preventing it. Drink 4 glasses of wine a week and you can cut the risk of it by up to 60 percent.

Does all this mean that you should rush down to the store and stockpile red wine? It is a bit early to suggest that. Nonetheless, a few glasses a week will not hurt.

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