Circulating in several WhatsApp groups with the label “forwarded many times,” a piece of information has gone viral. The message encourages people to drink wine as an effective remedy that supposedly cures cancer permanently. The publication reads: “No more wine just on occasions… Now with every meal!!! Wine is a miraculous product that kills cancer cells. It is 10,000 times more powerful than chemotherapy…”
This information has been widely shared in recent days in WhatsApp groups in the Central African Republic. However, it is not substantiated according to medical specialists.
Clarifications from Health Specialists:
According to Dr. Guy-Roger Dote, an oncologist at the Community Hospital of Bangui, “Wine is a powerful alcohol. To my knowledge, there has been no scientifically validated evidence showing that wine protects against cancer. However, a good table wine, consumed in moderation, can provide antioxidants to the body that may help partially prevent cardiovascular diseases and some cancers. Therefore, I cannot support this false information.”
Dr. Eloi Mbolinani, a general practitioner at the Community Hospital of Bangui, also refuted this information: “I don’t think so. Because wine is contraindicated in certain, if not many, diseases. And when it comes to cancer, I don’t believe that wine is the appropriate remedy. There is no scientific evidence to support that.”
Dr. Mbary Siollo Mada Bebelou, head of the Nutrition and Food Hygiene Department at the Ministry of Health, was interviewed and stated: “This is completely false. It is true that some benefits of wine have been discovered in certain diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases. But wine, like any other alcohol, does not contain any element that can cure cancer. In fact, in some cases, it has been proven that alcohol, including wine, has effects on the development of certain cancers,” he emphasized.
We conducted a keyword search for “Wine and Cancer” on Google. The results led us to the WHO website, which specifies that alcohol is one of the main risk factors for cancer. Simply reducing alcohol consumption can significantly limit risks because alcohol consumption is never without risk.
Additionally, in an information sheet on the “ALLO DOCTEURS” website, we read: “No, a glass of wine a day does not protect against cancer. On the contrary, when it comes to cancer, alcohol is not protective at all. In fact, it is a risk factor.”
Conclusion:
Wine does not protect against cancer at all. In fact, it is a risk factor for people living with cancer. However, moderate wine consumption can contribute to good heart health. The claim that wine cures cancer is false, as verified by Centrafrique Check.
