Red Wine ? The Cancer Solution?
by Xav Moldonio
There are many health diagnosis that you just don't want to hear when getting a checkup. One is worse than practically all others, however. Yep, cancer. So, is there much you can do to prevent it? Yes, and an old fable is proving to be true.
When it comes to health care, the world is full of interesting folksy theories on prevention. Eat this, wear that and so on. Of course, most of these guidelines simply do not work. Ah, but one of the bigger ones is starting to show real promise.
In some cases, the rumor or rule of thumb has some basis in fact. Red wine, for instance, has often been touted as preventing certain forms of cancer. The basis for this has often been the country of France, where cancer rates are low and red wine is a favorite beverage.
For the longest time, red wine as a preventative drink was ignored. After all, we all know rumors of the benefits of red wine. French people have low incidents of cancer and drink lots of wine, so it must do something. Turns out that it very well does.
Studies are finding some interesting things about red wine. The issue is not so much the wine, but chemical found in it. Plants protect themselves with phytochemcials. Many of these chemicals are proving to be effective in prevention in humans as well.
The magic substance is found in the grapes, but not where you would expect. It is not the juice or pulp. Nope. The seeds and skins are the key. They contain polyphenols, which are anti-oxidants.
Polyphenols are important to your health because they protect cells. As an anti-oxidant, a polyphenol will block the damaging impact of free radicals. Free radicals can mutate the cells, their DNA and so on. This is one way cancer is believed to arise.
Ah, but red wine has another magic ingredient. It is called resveratrol. It is produced by grapes to fight off disease. It is effectively part of the immune system of a plant. Well, studies show it also attacks cancerous growths. Yes, it prevents the growth and spread of cancer.
At first glance, it would appear that catechins, polyphenols and rseveratrol are the answer to our cancer problems. Maybe, but maybe not. Only a few studies have been conducted, so it is unwise to draw global conclusions. That being said, the results are positive.
The fear of most men is getting cancer in their prostate. It is a fairly aggressive form or cancer. Red wine appears to be helpful in preventing it. Drink 4 glasses of wine a week and you can cut the risk of it by up to 60 percent.
These initial results might lead one to believe red wine is a holistic answer to all cancer problems. It is not. It only appears to work with certain types. That being said, drinking a glass here and there certainly seems to be a smart move.
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