Red wine lowers lung ca risk; acts as radiation shield

Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, according to a study published in the October Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention journal (17: 2692–2699, 2008).

Chun Chao, PhD, a research scientist at Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, Calif., and colleagues examined self-reported data from 84,170 men age 45 to 69.

The researchers measured the effect beer, red wine, white wine, and liquor had on the risk of lung cancer. On average, the researchers found a 2% lower lung cancer risk associated with each glass of red wine consumed per month. Smokers who drank one to two glasses of red wine per day had a 60% reduced lung cancer risk. Another study about resveratrol from University of Pittsburgh researchers found that the antioxidant could prove eff ective against radiation from a nuclear attack.

Joel Greenberger, MD, the chair of radiation oncology at the school of medicine, found that when resveratrol was altered with acetyl, it shielded mice from the eff ects of radiation. The researchers presented their research at ASTRO 2008 in Boston (abstract 3174).

Dr. Greenberger and colleagues are continuing to study whether or not acetylated resveratrol can be used clinically as a radioprotective agent. “Currently, there are no drugs on the market that protect against or counteract radiation exposure,” Dr. Greenberg said. “Our goal is to develop treatments for the general population that are effective and nontoxic.”