Experts believe that white wine might increase the risk of melanoma.
Scientists have recently discovered that white wine might be a major factor influencing the development of melanoma. Although previous research has shown that alcohol intake is connected to the risk of cancer, this is the first study which points towards the potential negative effects of white wine.
Also, the researchers underline that the risk is higher for body parts which receive less sun exposure. The group of experts from Brown University has conducted a comprehensive research by reviewing the data from more than 210,000 participants who participated in three large-scale studies for a median of 18 years. The three studies involved just white participants, whereas the women had blonde and red hair.
The team discovered that the risk of melanoma increased by 14 percent per drink, every day, whereas the participants who consumed white wine had a 13 percent higher risk of developing skin cancer per drink.
According to Eunyoung Cho, the lead researcher, the team was surprised to find out that white wine was the only drink which affected the risk of skin cancer so much.
Although they are not sure why the risk was higher in patients who consumed white wine, the scientists believe that white wine is more dangerous because it contains more acetaldehyde than spirits and beer. This chemical compound exists in red wine as well, but this drink contains antioxidants which prevent acetaldehyde from being toxic.
“For drinkers, risks and benefits of alcohol consumption have to be considered individually, including the risk related to skin cancer,” says Cho.
In other words, not the alcohol intake is influencing these risks, but the metabolism of every individual. The team will continue their investigation to find out more about the biological importance of the study findings.
Also, they recommend people with other risk factors related to melanoma to talk to their physicians about how much alcohol they are allowed to consume. In addition, they should use risk-reduction strategies to prevent melanoma and other types of skin cancer.
The experts from the Department of Health and Human Services explain that alcohol is known as a carcinogen because it causes 3 percent of all cancer-related deaths in the United States every year. Furthermore, high alcohol consumption increases the risk of head, liver, breast, neck, colon, and rectal cancer.
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