Red Wine Protects Against Cancer

Why have wine drinkers always toasted to a long life?

The key may lie in recent research that suggests cancer-fighting properties are abundant in red wine. Even more research is required to identify a number of other health benefits to wine drinking.

Scientific studies have shown that in particular red wines are a rich source of biologically active phytochemicals, chemicals found in plants. Compounds called polyphenols found in red wine - such as catechins and resveratrol - are thought to have antioxidant or anticancer properties.

What are polyphenols and how do they prevent cancer?

Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds found in the skin and seeds of grapes. When wine is made from these grapes, the alcohol produced by the fermentation process dissolves the polyphenols contained in the skin and seeds. Red wine contains more polyphenols than white wine because the making of white wine requires the removal of the skins after the grapes are crushed. The phenols in red wine include catechin, gallic acid and epicatechin.

Polyphenols have been found to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from oxidative damage caused by molecules called free radicals. These chemicals can damage important parts of cells, including proteins, membranes and DNA. Cellular damage caused by free radicals has been implicated in the development of cancer. Research on the antioxidants found in red wine has shown that they may help inhibit the development of certain cancers.

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