Can Red Wine Be a Cure for Prostate Cancer?

Prostate cancer is one of the leading diseases that pose a great risk for men. Studies show that one in seven men has a chance of being diagnosed with it throughout their lifetime. Although the risk is higher among men above the age of 45, there is still no conclusive study that verifies the exact cause of this disease. Experts may sometimes attribute the genetic background of patients as a possible origin. Men who have a history of prostate cancer in their first-degree relatives are twice as likely to develop this disease. Other factors that may possibly contribute to the development of prostate cancer include dietary pattern, contraction of infectious disease, and sexual behavior among others.

While the exact cause of prostate cancer is still debatable, there is a possible cure that most men would willingly want to try out - drinking red wine. For years, experts have studied the potential of red wine as a viable prostate cancer deterrent. This is due to a compound called resveratrol.

Resveratrol is a type of natural phenol which is typically found in the skin of lingonberries, senna, mulberries, raspberries, blueberries and grapes - the primary ingredient of red wine. Depending on the variety of grape, a red wine contains about 0.2 to 5.8 mg/L of resveratrol while white wine has a considerably lower amount. This is mainly due to the removal of the grape skin before the fermentation process in white wines.

Resveratrol has been long considered a good dietary supplement that may help promote health and longevity. Although still unproven, other potential health benefits of resveratrol include lower rate of heart disease, increase in metabolism, diabetes properties and more.

As for prostate cancer, a news release from Janet L. Stanford of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center states that the risk of more aggressive cancer is lowered by up to sixty percent for male patients who consumed four or more servings of a four-ounce glass of red wine every week. The research also shows that red wine have the most potential among other types of alcoholic beverages.

A separate study conducted by Professor Michael Nicholl of the University of Missouri reveals that resveratrol makes tumor cells become more susceptible to chemotherapy. On a similar note, there are also findings that drinking red wine can increase the chance of survival for women with breast cancer by a fifth.

While the definite cure for cancer is still lingering in the future, one thing that remains true is the fact that having a healthy lifestyle is the best preventive measure against any type of disease including prostate cancer.