Study of moderate red wine consumption helps protect against prostate cancer

Prostate Cancer: Red wine has a mildly protective effect

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in German men and the third most common cause of cancer death. According to estimates by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), more than 60,000 men in this country suffer from a malignant tumor of the prostate gland every year. Over 12,000 die of prostate cancer each year. An international research team has now found that moderate red wine consumption can have a mildly protective effect.

Moderate red wine consumption can be healthy

According to experts, red wine can be healthy - if enjoyed in moderation. The polyphenols resveratrol contained in red wine have been shown in studies positive effects in diseases such as arteriosclerosis, Alzheimer's, arthritis or heart disease. An international research team has now discovered another possible positive effect of polyphenols.

Moderate red wine consumption may protect against prostate cancer. This has now been found out by an international research team. (Image: Igor Normann / fotolia.com)

The most common of all cancers

As reported by the Medical University (MedUni) Vienna in a communication, prostate cancer is the most common of all cancers in the Western world.

15 to 20 percent of men are affected at some point in their lives, 2.6 percent die from prostate cancer.

In addition to genetic, environmental (epigenetic) risk factors are involved in the development of prostate cancer, including smoking, increased sugar intake, and red meat.

An international team of researchers led by Shahrokh Shariat, Head of the University Department of Urology at MedUni Vienna, has now analyzed the risk factor of wine consumption in a meta-analysis - with a somewhat surprising result.

Slightly protective effect

According to the scientists, moderate wine consumption generally does not significantly increase the risk. Moderate red wine enjoyment even has a slightly protective effect.

According to Shariat, "moderate" means about one glass a day.

It could be shown that the risk is not significantly increased, provided that the other risk factors are taken into account and that smoking does not take place or that there is not too much sugar or red meat.

In addition, the retrospective study of 17 high-quality studies with around 611,000 patients showed that moderate red wine consumption has a mildly protective effect.

"By about 12 percent, the risk of developing prostate cancer was thereby reduced, while the consumption of white wine increased the risk by 26 percent," said Shariat.

The results of the study were recently published in the journal "Clinical Epidemiology".

Polyphenols with protective effect

The researchers now want to find out which ingredients in red wine have this protective effect and whether it can also be used preventively therapeutically - for example in risk groups.

"Even with other diseases and cancers has already been shown that polyphenols, which are mainly contained in red wine, can have a protective effect," said the urologist.

The concentration in red wine is 10 times higher than in white wine, which could be a reason for the observed results.

Furthermore, the European Food Authority has confirmed that polyphenolic olive oil contributes to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress.

Also, positive effects of polyphenols on platelet accumulation in the arteries and on insulin sensitivity have been demonstrated.

"Maybe you can use the polyphenols from the red wine preventively. The question is: what can we learn from the results of the study - and how can we use that in science and preventive medicine? "(Ad)