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 Comment:
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:
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. I will be seeking to find a source but if anyone knows
where to find this please let us know by
contacting our
customer support team. In the meantime you can purchase
resveratrol supplements, but my guess is that it would not actually
be as good as the grape pomace which is likely to be less expensive
and far more effective.
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
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