Drinking a Large Glass of Red Wine Everyday can cut Bowel Cancer Risk

Afrik Update

Health

By Jenny Hope

Resveratrol, found in the skins of red grapes, has been known to have cancer-fighting qualities but scientists didn't know how much was needed.

               

Drinking a large glass of red wine every day could help prevent bowel cancer, researchers claim.

Resveratrol, found in the skins of red grapes and which gives the wine its colour, has long been known to have cancer-fighting properties, but scientists did not know how much was needed to be effective.

Tests on mice have now shown that a dose equivalent to five milligrams in humans halved the growth of bowel tumours.

Five milligrams were far more effective than a one gram dose.
Professor Karen Brown, who led the trials at Leicester University, said: 

‘Everybody thinks that more is better, but we found that the low dose was more 

effective. 

'We were amazed that it had any effect at all and even more surprised by the effectiveness of the low dose.’ 

Professor Brown will present her findings this week at Resveratrol 2012, a conference dedicated to research into the compound, at the university.

‘Alcohol has been estimated to cause around 12,500 cases of cancer a year in the UK. The best way to cut the risk of cancer through alcohol is to drink less.’