Reduce breast cancer risk?

Studies suggest red wine compounds may reduce breast cancer risk

A new study published in the Journal of Women’s Health investigated the possibility that red wine – or more accurately, compounds present in red wine – may reduce breast cancer risk. The study investigated the potential association between red wine intake and decreased levels of certain hormones implicated in breast cancer.

The study recruited 36 women split into two groups and assigned to the ‘red wine’ or ‘white wine’ group. Each subject consumed a moderate amount of the wine daily for one month before being switched to the other type of wine. Blood tests to measure hormone levels were conducted on two occasions in each month.

The researchers observed that there was an association between consumption of red wine and hormonal changes such as increased circulating testosterone levels and lowering female sex hormones. One of the key researchers involved in the study, Dr Glenn Braunstein suggested that a possible mechanism was by Aromatase inhibition, (Aromatase is the enzyme responsible for conversion of hormones). A high level of the female sex hormone estrogen is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.

Dr Braunstein, said that “there are chemicals in red grape skin and red grape seeds that are not found in white grapes that may decrease breast cancer risk”.

The researchers also suggested that the presence of various molecules in red wine may serve some protective role in the body. Other molecules also present in red wine and grape skins such as resveratrol, rutin, quercetin are suggested to inhibit aromatase, but further studies are required to confirm this relationship.