Red wine not safer: Study links all alcohol to cancer risk

After analysing data from 42 studies, researchers found no significant difference in overall cancer risk between red and white wine — and no type of wine was shown to be “safe” when it comes to cancer prevention.

Red wine’s reputation for being healthier due to antioxidants like resveratrol doesn’t hold up,” said lead author Dr. Eunyoung Cho of Brown University. “We found no strong evidence that red wine lowers cancer risk.” Interestingly, white wine was associated with higher cancer risk in women and a 22 per cent increased risk of skin cancer in some studies — though researchers noted that lifestyle factors like sun exposure could play a role.

When focusing on more reliable cohort studies, the link between white wine and increased cancer risk was stronger, but no significant risk increase was seen with red wine.