More research points to the medicinal effects of red wine. Researchers say the consumption of more than three glasses of red wine a week reduced the risk of colon cancer.

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.

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

The research highlights the potential role of red wine in chemoprevention of colon cancer, but when it comes to proven prevention strategies, doctors say 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.