Wine Down Wednesday

Last week, I wrote about the benefits of drinking red wine and heart health.  This week I want to touch upon recent research that suggests that moderate wine consumption can help reduce the risk of certain cancers.  Two compounds found in wine- reveratrol and melatonin have shown to be protective against breast cancer in animal studies (1).

• Melatonin, a compound primarily involved in regulation of circadian rhythms, acts as an antioxidant and anticarcinogenic agent, especially in breast cancer
• Resveratrol, a widely known polyphenolic agent found in red wine has shown to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic effects

And as you have probably read, many studies looking at the cardioprotective and anticarcengenic properties of the Mediterranean diet attribute many of  these effects to the moderate consumption of red wine (2).

It is important to highlight, however, that prospective studies examining wine consumption among women previously diagnosed breast cancer report consuming 3-4 drinks or more per week may increase risk of breast cancer recurrence (3). 

The bottom line...
Many experimental findings do suggest a potential cancer chemopreventive role in some grape extracts (4). The studies that surface into the media can be confusing because for every study that suggests wine to be anticarcinogenic, another study says wine consumption promotes cancer. However, no studies to date have shown that moderate consumption of alcohol increases the risk of cancer (5). If you do drink, be sure to in moderation- that is, one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.  Enjoy a glass tonight while you cook this healthy recipe that calls for Madeira or dry Sherry in the ingredients.  Cheers!


Bistro-Style Chicken with Mushrooms and Madeira

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
• Cooking spray
• 2 pounds red potatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
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• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, oyster, and button
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Madeira wine or dry sherry
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and grated nutmeg. Place chicken in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray; cover with foil. Bake chicken, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over; bake, uncovered, an additional 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken to a serving platter, reserving 1 tablespoon of pan drippings. Keep chicken warm.
• Place potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 15 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Return potatoes to pan; add milk, 1 tablespoon butter, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.
• Heat reserved pan drippings in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms to pan; cook 3 minutes or until moisture evaporates, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Drizzle gravy over chicken; sprinkle with parsley. Serve with potatoes.

Nutritional Information:

Yield: 4 servings (2 chicken thighs, 1/4 cup gravy, 1 tablespoon parsley, and about 1 cup potatoes)

Calories: 526, Fat: 16.7g, Saturated fat: 5.9g, Monounsaturated fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated fat: 2.7g, Protein: 41.4g, Carbohydrate: 44.1g, Fiber: 5g, Cholesterol: 160mg, Sodium: 615mg       




1) Kiskova, T., Ekmekcioglu, C., GaraJova, M., Orendas, P., Bojkova, B., & Jager, W. (2011). A combination of resveratrol and melatonin exerts chemopreventive effects in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced rat mammary carcinogensis. European Journal of Cancer Prevention.

2) Pauwels, E. (2011). The protective effect of the mediterranean diet: focus on cancer adn cardivascular risk. Medical Principals and Practice, 20(2), 103-111.

3) Kwan, M., Kushi, L., Weltzien, E., Tam, E., Castillo, A., Sweeney, C., & Caan, D. (2000). Alcohol consumption and breast cancer recurrence and survial among women with early-stage breast cancaer: the life after cancer epidemiology study. Journal of Clinical Onocology, 28(29), 4410-4416.

4) Giacosa, Adam-Blondon, A., Baer-Sinnott, S. Barale, R. Bavaresco, L. & Di Gaspero, G. (2011). Alcohol and wine in relation to cancer and other diseases. European Journal of Cancer Prevention,

5) Shaeffer, J. (2011). To good wine...and better health-the case for moderate wine consumption. Today's Dietitian, 13(8), 32.