Men who drink one glass a wine a day are likely to reduce their risk of the most aggressive forms of prostate cancer by 50 percent, according to a cancer research study. The cancer-fighting compound, resveratrol, is found in the red grapes that are used to make red wine. Resveratrol is also found in peanuts and raspberries. Upon testing other liquors such as beer and hard liquor, researchers found they produced no significant effects.

How Does Resveratrol Help Control Cancer Development?

• Because it is an antioxidant, it has the ability to clear dangerous cancer-inducing radicals from the body

• Its anti-inflammatory properties prevent certain enzymes from forming that trigger tumor development

• It cuts down cell reproduction, which helps reduce the number of cell divisions that could contribute to the progression of cancer cell growth

• May play a similar role to estrogen by its ability to reduce testosterone levels, which promote the cancer growth
  

The study involved interviewing two groups of men: 753 recently diagnosed prostate cancer patients and 703 healthy patients, who acted as the control group. The goal of the study was to evaluate the possible benefits of drinking red wine. The participant's ages ranged from 40-64, with the majority under the age of 60.

This youthful range was considered one of the strong aspects of the study due to the fact the risks of prostate cancer are lower in younger age groups. This factor also allowed researchers to hone in on specific environmental factors of cancer risk such as wine consumption.

Future studies are being planned to further research the relationship between resveratrol and prostate cancer.

Science Blog September 22, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

In an earlier study it was reported that antioxidants weren't as effective as green and black tea in slowing down the progression of prostate cancer. Knowing the benefits of resveratrol, these findings surprised me. It now seems my suspicions were confirmed with research that found drinking a glass of red wine a day may cut a man's risk of prostate cancer in half. Moreover, the protective effect appears to be strongest against the most aggressive forms of the disease. Resveratrol should be added to the list of tools to fight prostate cancer. These include: Optimized vitamin D levels Increased omega-3 oils Regular sun exposure Freshly ground flaxseeds Vitamin E While red wine is shown to provide some great health benefits, I do not advocate drinking red wine at all as I am convinced that the alcohol itself is actually a poison and will unbalance your hormones. I am looking into using grape pomace. Grape pomace, a by-product of winemaking and is loaded with resveratrol and many other polyphenolic bioflavanoids and antioxidants. To the best of my knowledge it is not commercially available. If you insist on drinking red wine you also need to check on the growing conditions of the grapes and how the wine is made. If the wine isn't made with organic grapes, it may contain no resveratrol at all. You also need to be aware that consuming large amounts of wine or grapes, which have a lower concentration of antioxidants than wine, will increase insulin levels and eventually have a negative impact on your health. It may be beneficial to consume whole grape skins and pass up the meat of the grape, which has no resveratrol but a lot of extra fructose. Related Articles: Grape Skin Protein Kills Cancer Cells Is Red Wine Really Good for Your Health? Natural Fruit Preservative Found in Grapes Molecule in Red Wine May Activate 'Longevity Gene' Grape Skin Extract Useful in Stroke Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer's With Dietary and Lifestyle Changes