Red vs. white: Does the type of wine you drink impact cancer risk?

Wine consumption, whether red or white, is often perceived differently in terms of health risks. Red wine, in particular, is often considered a healthier option due to its antioxidant content, notably resveratrol. A recent study, published in the journal Nutrients, challenges this popular belief.Conducted by a team of researchers from the School of Public Health at Brown University in Rhode Island, it is based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of 42 observational studies, including 20 cohort studies and 22 case studies involving nearly 96,000 participants followed over several years. The aim was to assess whether the type of wine consumed affected the risk of developing certain cancers, such as breast, skin, colon and prostate.The results revealed no significant difference in overall cancer risk between red and white wine consumption. Nor did they provide evidence that red wine reduces the risk of malignant tumours. The relative risk for red wine was 0.98 (95% CI, 0.87 to 1.10) and for white wine 1.00 (95% CI, 0.91 to 1.10). “This calls into question the common belief that red wine is healthier than white wine,” stresses the study's co-lead author, Dr. Eunyoung Cho, in a press release.Both types of wine were also associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, in the same proportions, with a relative risk of 1.17 for red wine (95% CI, 0.97 to 1.42) and 1.12 for white wine (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.20). On the other hand, the results established that white wine consumption is associated with a 22% increased risk of skin cancer compared to red wine. While the scientists are unable to explain the reasons for this association, they suggest in their article that, “excessive wine consumption could be linked to high-risk behaviours, such as artificial tanning and inappropriate use of sunscreen.”Another strong correlation revealed was that women who consumed white wine had a higher overall risk of cancer than those who consumed red wine. The relative risk for white wine was 1.26 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.52) versus 0.91 (95% CI, 0.72 to 1.16) for red wine. Here too, the authors can't explain the link they found. They said that further research into potential underlying mechanisms is needed to answer this question.“With the exception of skin cancer, we did not observe a significant difference between the associations of red and white wine consumption and the risk of site-specific cancers,” they stated in their article, noting that they calculated that a daily consumption of 10 g of alcohol (approximately one glass of wine) is associated with a 5% increase in overall cancer risk.Red wine is not a means of preventionRed wine contains a higher concentration of polyphenols than white wine, due to the maceration process with the grape skin. The literature has shown that these organic molecules, particularly resveratrol, have a protective effect against oxidative stress and inflammation, two key factors in the development of cancer. "While the polyphenols in red wine may have a beneficial effect on health, alcohol consumption remains a well-established risk factor for several types of cancer. It is therefore difficult to recommend red wine as a means of prevention," wrote the authors, who also mention in their article that the rapid metabolization of alcohol into the toxic acetaldehyde could cancel out the potentially beneficial effects of the antioxidants present in red wine.While red wine appears to be slightly less deleterious than white wine, the key message remains that any regular consumption of alcohol increases the risk of cancer. "Moderation remains the best approach. Advising limited consumption or total abstinence is the most prudent strategy for reducing cancer risk," concluded the scientists.

Red vs. white: Does the type of wine you drink impact cancer risk?

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