April 25, 2025, 12:45 pm | Read time: 6 minutes
Wine is often considered the healthier choice among alcoholic beverages, especially red wine due to its high concentration of antioxidants such as resveratrol. Of course, the drink is not free of risks due to its alcohol content — but are there still differences between red and white wine? A study has investigated this in more detail.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), alcohol is a proven carcinogen. Around 740,000 cases of cancer worldwide were attributed to alcohol consumption in 2020.1 However, wine is often seen as a milder form — especially red wine, which is said to have antioxidant and even anti-cancer properties. The reason: ingredients such as resveratrol are said to reduce cell damage. However, previous epidemiological studies have produced contradictory results. While some research claims that red wine has a protective effect, others show an increased risk of cancer.2,3,4,5 White wine, which contains less resveratrol, has also been linked to various types of cancer — particularly skin cancer.
Overview
Does the Consumption of Red and White Wine Influence the Overall Cancer Risk?
The aim of the study was to analyze differences between the consumption of red and white wine in terms of cancer risk. Although numerous studies have already investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer, there have only been a few studies to date that have looked at red and white wine separately.
The focus of the current study was on the overall cancer risk and the specific risk increase for individual types of cancer. Particular attention was paid to the potential protective effect of red wine through antioxidants such as resveratrol, which showed anti-cancer properties in laboratory studies. The researchers also investigated whether white wine poses a higher risk, for example due to higher concentrations of acetaldehyde, a known carcinogen, i.e. a carcinogenic factor.
Another aim was to identify possible gender-specific differences. Previous studies have indicated that women may be more sensitive to certain alcohol-related cancer effects.6
Review of Various Studies
For their research, the Brown University scientists searched scientific databases for relevant studies and papers that had investigated the influence of red and white wine on cancer risk up to December 2023.7 This resulted in a total of 42 observational studies that were suitable for the investigation, including 20 cohort studies and 22 case-control studies.
The scientists extracted relevant data from these studies, such as the consumption of red and white wine, cancer cases and possible confounding factors. Using standard statistical methods, the values were then put in relation to each other. In addition, separate evaluations were carried out for men and women and for different types of cancer.
In order to keep distortions to a minimum, only studies that analyzed red and white wine separately and presented their results with extensive adjustments for confounding factors such as smoking, BMI, and other lifestyle variables were considered.
White Wine Particularly Increased the Risk of Skin Cancer
The analysis showed that the consumption of red and white wine did not significantly influence the overall risk of cancer. People who drank the most red wine had a cancer risk factor of 0.98 compared to those who drank the least. White wine drinkers achieved a value of 1.00.
However, there were striking differences in the subgroup analyses:
- Skin cancer: white wine consumption was associated with a 22 percent higher risk of skin cancer. In contrast, no correlation was observed with red wine.
- Cancer risk in women: Women who drank white wine had a 26 percent increased risk of cancer, while there was no significant association for red wine.
For other types of cancer, such as breast, bowel, prostate or lung cancer, there were no clear differences between red and white wine consumption.
Amount of Resveratrol in Red Wine Is Not Enough
The results refute the widespread assumption that red wine is more beneficial to health than white wine. The study shows that red wine does not offer better protection against cancer compared to white wine, even though it contains more resveratrol. This is surprising, as laboratory analyses have generally shown that this chemical compound can kill cancer cells.8 The amount found in a glass of red wine is probably not enough to actually have a preventative effect. Moreover, several glasses would cancel out the positive effect due to the alcohol content.
Even though no overall difference was found in the overall cancer risk, the analysis suggests that white wine could be associated with a higher risk in certain groups — particularly among women and in relation to skin cancer. One possible explanation for the increased risk of skin cancer associated with white wine is its potentially higher content of acetaldehyde, a carcinogenic substance. In addition, white wine drinkers were more frequently associated with risk factors such as sunbathing and a lack of sun protection.
“According to the IARC Global Cancer Observatory database, 741,300 cancer cases in 2020 — about 4.1 percent of all global cancer cases that year — were attributable to alcohol consumption,” the researchers stated in their study. This suggests that alcohol of any kind, regardless of the type of wine, can be harmful. Women and people with an already increased risk of skin cancer in particular should avoid white wine and, if they do, opt for red wine.
Classification of the Study
The meta-analysis comprises a large number of studies and provides a sound data basis. Nevertheless, there are some limitations. For example, the analysis includes observational studies that do not establish causal relationships. Furthermore, most of the data is self-reported, as wine consumption was often recorded using questionnaires, which can lead to inaccuracies. Another limitation of the study could be the different lifestyles between wine drinkers, which were not fully taken into account.
As mentioned above, studies have already shown that despite the antioxidant properties of wine drinking, resveratrol is rapidly metabolized and may not have a significant impact on cancer risks.9
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Conclusion
In summary, the meta-analysis shows that there is no difference between red and white wine consumption in terms of overall cancer risk. However, an increased risk of skin cancer and a higher cancer rate in women was found in relation to white wine.
These findings shed new light on the public perception of red wine as a “healthy” alcohol alternative. While moderate consumption is still considered acceptable, white wine consumption in particular should be viewed critically in certain risk groups. Further studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms.