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Red Wine Is Good for Your Heart — and Might Protect Against Breast Cancer!

Studies show that moderate alcohol intake — one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men — decreases the risk of heart attack. On the other hand, alcohol is linked to a very small increase in the risk of breast cancer (dozens of factors seem to play a role). But a new study shows that one type of alcohol may actually decrease the risk of both heart disease and breast cancer: red wine.

Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles found that when premenopausal women drank red wine, it acted as an aromatase inhibitor, blocking the conversion of testosterone into estrogen — and too-high levels of estrogen are a risk factor for breast cancer. "For women who consume wine, I would suggest red wine," a study author said in an interview. "For those who drink other alcohol drinks, I would suggest switching to red wine."

References

"For Women Who Imbibe, Red Wine May Be Healthier Option." J Womens Health (Larchmt). Published online December 7, 2011.