Drinking red wine significantly reduces the risk of colorectal neoplasia by 68 percent, but drinking white wine does not. Researchers suspect that higher concentrations of the compound resveratrol in red wine may provide a protective effect against colon cancer.

The consumption of more than three glasses of red wine a week reduced the risk for significant colorectal neoplasia (SCRN), or colon cancer, according to research presented last year at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology.

Joseph C. Anderson, M.D, and his colleagues at SUNY Stony Brook, compared the drinking habits of 360 red and white wine drinkers with similar lifestyles as part of a study examining the prevalence of colorectal neoplasia.

There is great interest in lifestyle and dietary factors and their impact on health and the development of disease. This research highlights the potential role of red wine in chemoprevention of colon cancer, but when it comes to proven prevention strategies, screening for colorectal cancer remains essential and is the most proven preventative measure that individuals can use to reduce their risk of developing this disease. Screening tests can find precancerous polyps, allowing removal before they turn into cancer.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most detectable, and if found early enough, the most treatable forms of cancer, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.

Here are some other vitamins and minerals that may help reduce the risk of colon cancer:

- Taking 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D each day could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer
- Patients with a serum vitamin D level of 33 nanograms per milliliter or higher were 50 percent less likely to develop colorectal cancer compared to those who had blood levels of 12 nanograms per milliliter or lower.
- Taking calcium supplements appears to decrease the risk of recurring colorectal adenomas (precancerous polyp) for up to five years after treatment. 31 percent of those who had taken calcium had recurrences compared with 43 percent of those originally in the placebo group.

Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute (January 2007) 

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