Study: Red Wine May Reduce Risk of Breast Cancer

Women who drink moderate amounts of red wine may reduce one of the risk factors for breast cancer, according to new research from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center that was released Friday.

Researchers at the Los Angeles hospital published an article in the Journal of Women's Health Friday, and challenged what they said is the widely-held belief that all alcohol consumption heightens the risk of cancer in women's breasts.

Doctors have long determined that alcohol increases the body's estrogen levels, fostering the growth of cancer cells in the breast. But the Cedars team found that chemicals in the skins and seeds of red grapes slightly lowered estrogen levels, while elevating testosterone levels among premenopausal women.

The women participating in the test drank eight ounces of either Cabernet Sauvignon, a red wine, or Chardonnay, a white wine, nightly for one month. The women's blood was tested and they then switched varieties, and the blood tests showed that white wine did not have the same effect as the red, the hospital reported.

The conclusion for young women, said research Dr. Chrisandra Shufelt, is that “switching may shift your risk.”

“If you were to have a glass of wine with dinner, you may want to consider a glass of red,” she said.

Breast cancer is the leading type of women's cancer in the United States, with more than 230,000 cases reported last year. The American Cancer Society estimates that 39,000 died from the disease in 2011.

White wines do not increase the risk, but simply do not pack the same anti-cancer chemical properties, said Dr. Glenn D. Braunstein, a project co-researcher.