A COMPOUND found in red wine could hold the key to preventing bowel cancer, scientists hope. Resveratrol , an antioxidant in red grapes, is being assessed to see if it can slow the growth of tumour cells in the gut . Research suggests it can starve cancerous cells of energy and clear out damaged proteins.
Experts want to see if a concentrated version in a pill is effective. A trial will recruit 1,300 people aged 50 to 73 who screening shows have bowel polyps, raising their risk of cancer . Prof Karen Brown, trial chief from Leicester Uni, said: “The best way to prevent bowel cancer is to improve lifestyles but we can enhance efforts by finding drugs to stop it in its earliest stages.
” READ MORE ON HEALTH Cancer Research UK warned: “Drinking red wine does not prevent cancer and alcohol is a known cause of cancer.” Dr Ajay Verma, medic at Kettering General Hospital and scientist on the study, said: “The holy grail of cancer care is cancer prevention. “This study is an exciting new way to test prevention in a wide group of people for a cancer which claims thousands of lives every year.
“Resveratrol is now a viable candidate prevention drug.” Most read in Health.