Red and white wine have been compared on many levels, but science might have finally determined an undisputed winner, at least from men's health standpoint.
Red Wine's Miraculous Properties
An in-depth analysis, spanning 17 high-quality studies and 610,000 participants was carried out by the international research team at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria. It discovered that a glass of red wine a day reduces the risk of prostate cancer by roughly 12%. If that alone isn't enough to win men over, the study also found that a glass of white wine a day can increase the risk of prostate cancer by 26%.
What makes this significant difference is polyphenols, a type of antioxidant, which is found 10 times more in red wine than in white. And polyphenols' curative effects span far beyond the prostate. Polyphenols also help with platelet aggregation in the arteries and insulin sensitivity.
Other Factors That Predispose Men to Prostate Cancer
It's important, however, to remember prostate cancer is a complex picture, one where wine is by far not the central element. Smoking, consuming too much sugar and red meat are the main lifestyle choices that make men vulnerable to the disease.
And then, there are the factors that are beyond men's control altogether. Dr. Iain Frame, director of research at Prostate Cancer UK, advises men to "familiarise themselves with the three known risk factors for prostate cancer – being over the age of 50, having a family history of the disease, and black ethnicity."
The Research's Significance
Nevertheless, with 15 to 20% of men being affected by prostate cancer at some point in their lives, these findings are a big step toward saving many lives. And it might be just the first of many, even bigger ones:
"Potentially the polyphenols from red wine can be used preventatively. The question is: what can we learn from the results of the study -- and how can we use that in science and preventive medicine?" Shahrokh Shariat, leader of the research, says.
