Drinking red wine to help guard against heart disease also may protect you against oral cancers, reported researchers at the International Association for Dental Research’s 78th General Session and Exhibition in March.
Research conducted at the University of Missouri School of Dentistry and published in the November-December issue of the journal Anticancer Research shows that red wine’s health benefits may extend to the mouth and gingivae.
The study indicated that two phenolic compounds found in red wine, resveratrol and quercetin, inhibit the growth of oral cancer cells. Specifically, resveratrol alone or combined with quercetin effectively inhibited squamous carcinoma cell growth and DNA synthesis. Researchers also found that the presence of other wine phenolic phytochemicals significantly enhances the effects of resveratrol and quercetin on inhibiting cancer cell growth and DNA synthesis.
