在美国，每年有超过230,000个乳腺癌新增病例。在美国一些乡村地区，乳腺癌是女性所患癌症类型中最主要的一类。仅在2011年，美国就大约有39,000名成年女性因患乳腺癌而死亡。
饮酒频率过高会增加罹患乳腺癌的风险，但惟独适量饮用红酒能降低罹患乳腺癌的风险。最近刊登在Journal of Women's Health上一项研究证实：红葡萄种子以及皮中的一种特殊化学物质能在一定程度上降低我们体内的雌激素水平，进而提高更年期妇女的睾酮水平，从而减少妇女患乳腺癌的风险。
来自洛杉矶思达斯-西奈医学中心的研究人员表示红酒主要是由红葡萄酿造而成，红酒中也存在了这种具有抗肿瘤作用的有效成分。
早期研究表明酒精能提高我们体内雌激素水平，促进肿瘤细胞的生长。因此，过去人们普遍认为饮用市面上所有含酒精的酒类会增加妇女得乳腺癌的几率。但这项最新研究却有力的抨击了这一理论。
研究人员发现，那些更年期妇女每天晚上饮用八盎司的红酒有一个月左右的时间后，体内雌激素出现降低现象，睾酮水平呈上升趋势。然而，给另外一组更年期妇女饮用白葡萄酒后，上述现象得不到复制。
但研究人员强调：该项研究所得的结论并不能证明白葡萄酒会提高妇女罹患乳腺癌的风险。因此，需要开展更多研究来确定红酒减少患乳腺癌风险的确切机制。(生物谷 Bioon.com)
doi:10.1089/jwh.2011.3001
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Red Versus White Wine as a Nutritional Aromatase Inhibitor in Premenopausal Women: A Pilot Study
Chrisandra Shufelt, C. Noel Bairey Merz, YuChing Yang, Joan Kirschner, Donna Polk, Frank Stanczyk, et al.
Background: An increased risk of breast cancer is associated with alcohol consumption; however, it is controversial whether red wine increases this risk. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) prevent the conversion of androgens to estrogen and occur naturally in grapes, grape juice, and red, but not white wine. We tested whether red wine is a nutritional AI in premenopausal women.
Methods: In a cross-over design, 36 women (mean age [SD], 36 [8] years) were assigned to 8 ounces (237?mL) of red wine daily then white wine for 1 month each, or the reverse. Blood was collected twice during the menstrual cycle for measurement of estradiol (E2), estrone (E1), androstenedione (A), total and free testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH).
Results: Red wine demonstrated higher free T vs. white wine (mean difference 0.64pg/mL [0.2SE], p=0.009) and lower SHBG (mean difference 5.0nmol/L [1.9SE], p=0.007). E2 levels were lower in red vs. white wine but not statistically significant. LH was significantly higher in red vs. white wine (mean difference 2.3mIU/mL [1.3SE], p=0.027); however, FSH was not.
Conclusion: Red wine is associated with significantly higher free T and lower SHBG levels, as well as a significant higher LH level vs. white wine in healthy premenopausal women. These data suggest that red wine is a nutritional AI and may explain the observation that red wine does not appear to increase breast cancer risk.
