Men who drink a moderate amount of red wine may lower their risk of lung cancer, even if they smoke, researchers report.
“An antioxidant component in red wine may help to prevent lung cancer,” said lead researcher Chun Chao, a scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research and Evaluation. “The findings provide an impetus for future research to find out if there is something in red wine that may help to either prevent or treat lung cancer.”
Researchers cautioned that the findings don’t mean that it’s OK to smoke.
Researchers found, on average, a 2 percent lower risk of lung cancer associated with each glass of red wine consumed per month. The greatest reduction was among smoking men who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day, lowering their risk for lung cancer by 60 percent.