wine and health

A recent study on the effects of resveratrol on prostate cancer highlights one of the tantalizing aspects of this red wine antioxidant: a long list of potential anti-cancer properties. It must be pointed out however that nearly all of the evidence for this comes from laboratory research, and though there are some clinical trials in progress it is premature to claim anti-cancer benefits for resveratrol supplements. But if any of it pans out it could lead to significant breakthroughs. One of the things that make resveratrol so intriguing as an anti-cancer agent is that it not only suppresses cancer cell growth but seems to protect normal cells from the toxic effects of cancer treatment. Radiation treatment is a particularly troublesome therapy because of lasting effects on healthy cells in the treatment zone. But several lines of evidence suggest that resveratrol may pull off the ultimate hat trick: protecting the healthy cells while sensitizing cancerous cells to radiation. ...

One of the hardest notions to shake is that taking antioxidant vitamins (A, C, and E) will reduce the chances of developing what we call "degenerative" diseases: things like cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. We all know that antioxidants are good for us, because the oxidation theory of aging--free radical molecules wreaking havoc on our DNA--is so well accepted. But studies keep throwing cold water on the idea that vitamins are the key. The latest is a study from the Fred Hutchinson cancer center here in Seattle, out this past weekend. This study, called VITAL (VITamins And Lifestyle) looked at not just the traditional vitamin supplements but also lutein and lycopene. Across most categories, cancer risk was actually higher in those using supplements. This is consistent with many previous studies but somehow vitamin sales seem to be unaffected. So what does this have to do with wine? Recall the whole wine and health story started with the identification of what we no...