Low-alcohol red wine cuts risk of breast, bowel cancers

When dining, wining may be the way to a cancer-free existence. But don’t take that as an excuse to glug away. The rider is that your drink of choice should be red wine, that too with low alcohol content.

According to researchers associated with the World Cancer Research Fund, red wine with 10 per cent alcohol instead of the normal 12-14 per cent could slash the risk of developing bowel or breast cancer by 7 per cent. What’s more, you can also beat other alcohol-related malignancies by making this switch.

Excess consumption of alcohol is associated not only with liver damage and cardiovascular disease but also with higher risk of liver, mouth and throat cancers. World Cancer Research Fund’s science programme manager Dr Rachel Thompson said being a teetotaller is the best way to beat cancer. “But we have to be realistic… If you drink quite a lot at the moment, the best advice is to reduce the number of drinks you have. But if people do not want to do this, switching to a lower alcohol alternative is still something positive they can do,” she said.

She said it’s hard to give up alcohol altogether but not too hard to switch to one with lower strength as that is a lifestyle change which is easy to stick to over the long term. And it can have a “real impact” on a person’s cancer risk, she said.

Scientists say one in every 25 deaths worldwide is due to excess consumption of alcohol.
However, red wine, when consumed in moderation, has beneficial effects on the heart as it contains polyphenols. Doctors recommend women stick to one small glass of red wine a day and men to two for a healthy heart.

A key component of Mediterranean diet, red wine prevents ageing, too. Studies have also found a link between certain types of red wines and lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Like all good things, wine too is best in small packages. Here’s your chance to raise a toast to a healthy life.