Each meal or aperitif rekindles the debate: is red wine really better for your health than white? A team of researchers from Brown University looked into this question that many are asking, by carefully examining the effects of each type of wine on cancer risk.
Red wine is no more protective than white wine
We’ve all heard it around the table: a glass of red wine “is good for your health.” Thanks to its resveratrol content, an antioxidant known to be beneficial, it even has a protective effect against certain cancers. The team from the Brown University School of Public Health wanted to see if this idea stood up to the test of numbers.
The researchers screened 42 studies involving 96,000 participants, directly comparing red wine and white wine. Their verdict is final: “We found no difference in the association between red or white wine consumption and overall cancer risk. Which challenges the common belief that red wine is healthier than white wine“.
Increased risk of skin cancer in white wine drinkers
If wine does not seem to increase the risk of cancer overall, one detail attracts attention. “We observed a difference in the risk of skin cancer. Specifically, white wine consumption, unlike red wine, was associated with increased risk of skin cancer“, specify the authors.
Researchers hypothesize behaviors associated with the consumption of white wine, such as “artificial tanning and insufficient use of sunscreen. However, it is unclear why white wine, in particular, is responsible.“. The study also notes a stronger link between white wine and the overall risk of cancer in women.
In France, alcohol remains a major factor in cancer
If these results qualify certain beliefs, they also remind us of a well-known reality: alcohol remains a proven risk. In France, it represents the second preventable risk factor, causing 30,000 new cases of cancer per year. In 2024, alcohol will cause 49,000 deaths, including 16,000 linked to cancer.