April 9/Dresden, Germany/Wine Spectator -- The heart-healthy benefits of one or two glasses of wine per day are well-established, but a new study finds that alcoholic beverages also contain several different known carcinogens. However, the study is not all doom and gloom for wine drinkers. In fact, for those who drink less than four servings per day, the risk of heavy exposure to carcinogens is slim. Is the report alarmist? The study's lead author argues that people who decide to drink alcohol should be educated to all potential risks, as well as benefits.
"The protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption proven in epidemiology is on cardiovascular disease, and not on cancer," said lead author Dirk Lachenmeier, an epidemiologist at the Dresden University of Technology. The study is slated for publication in the International Journal of Cancer.