Moderate consumption of red wine may slash risk factors for breast cancer in pre-menopausal women, researchers at Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre suggested.

MD Glenn Braunstein and his colleagues randomized thirty-six women to drink either Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay daily for a period of around one month, before they were allowed to switch to the other type of wine.

Researchers found that chemicals in the skin and seeds of red grapes slightly lowered the levels of estrogens and elevated the levels of testosterone. The also found that some substances present in red wine act as aromatase inhibitors, which are widely used to treat breast cancer in post-menopausal women.

However, the study published online in the Journal of Women's Health, found no such positive effect with white wine.

Explaining the point, Braunstein said, “There are chemicals in red grape skin and red grape seeds that are not found in white grapes that may decrease breast cancer risk.”

The new study challenged the wildly held belief that consumption of any type of alcohol elevates the risk of breast cancer.