Red Wine Found to Kill Cancerous Cells

A recent study by the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that a chemical found in the skin of red wine grapes, C-3 R, apparently kills human leukemia and lymphoma cells. It has been widely known since the 60 Minutes “French Paradox” segment in the 90s that the powerful antioxidants from the phenols in red wine can benefit the heart. However, up until this month there has never been a strong link between red wine and cancer prevention. What is so remarkable about this chemical is that it keeps healthy, normal cells intact, and only kills harmful cells. C-3 R is found in the largest quantity in Pinot Noir grapes. This is surprising to me because Pinot Noir grapes have the thinnest skins of all the red grape varieties and the phenols largely come from the skins. I would surmise that the skins in Pinot Noir grapes are more highly concentrated. Whatever the reason, this is promising news as both a breakthrough in cancer treatment and another reason to enjoy a glass of Pinot. I’ll drink to that!