Red wine has the reputation of being healthier than white wine. A team from the Public Health School at Brown University wanted to check if the drink really had protective and anti-criminal effects.
- Researchers at the Public Health School of Brown University led a meta-analysis on the links between wine and cancer.
- They discovered that red wine has no protective effects.
- White wine for its part seems to increase the risk of skin cancer, especially in women.
A large number of people lend protective virtues to red wine, due to its high resveratrol content, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. However, it has been proven that alcohol is a risk factor for cancer, as it damages DNA and proteins.
To decide the question of “Qualities” Red wine, researchers from the Public Health School of Brown University have screened “The vast and often contradictory literature on the carcinogenicity of red wine and white wine“.
Their work was published in the journal NutrientsJanuary 31, 2025.
Red wine and white wine: 42 searches spent under the magnifying glass to decide between them
Researchers resumed 42 research (20 cohort studies and 22 case studies) on wine and the risk of cancer. This represents nearly 96,000 participants. The analyzes do not show a link between an increased risk of cancer and wine consumption, whatever the type. However, the team has not seen any evidence either that red wine reduces the risk of malignant tumors.
“We have found no difference in the association between the consumption of red or white wine and the overall risk of cancer. This calls into question the current belief that red wine is healthier than white wine”write the authors in their article.
On the other hand, white lovers could be more likely to develop melanoma. When the analysis focused only on cohort studies data, it highlighted a link between drink based on white grape varieties and an increased risk of skin cancer by 22 %.
“We have observed a difference with regard to the risk of skin cancer. More specifically, the consumption of white wine, but not red wine, was associated with an increased risk of skin cancer”noted Eunyoung Chomain co-structure of the study, in a press release.
Scientists have not identified the reasons for this association between white and skin cancer. They are advancing for the moment that “Excessive consumption of wine could be linked to high -risk behaviors, such as artificial tanning and inadequate use of sunscreen “. However, they do not know why only white wine is linked to the phenomenon.
Cancer and white wine: women face an increased risk
These works on wine have highlighted another strong correlation: the consumption of white wine increases the overall risk of cancer in women. Unable to explain the discovered link, the team recognizes that more in-depth research on potential underlying mechanisms must be carried out to answer this question.
After examining all the data collected, the authors conclude: “This meta-analysis, the first of its kind, calls into question the idea that red wine is better for health than white wine. It also underlines the need to study further the association between the consumption of white wine and the risk of cancer, especially in women. “
Consult our digital video book,
Only an account creation is required to access it.
