Good news, wine lovers! Science Daily reports that the resveratrol found in grapes and red wine may help treat certain cancers.

Researchers from the University of Missouri found that when the said compound is introduced to melanoma cells, they become weaker and more susceptible to radiation. In fact, when resveratrol alone was used to treat the skin cancer, about 44 percent of the cells were killed. When resveratrol was used in tandem with radiation, researchers found that 65 percent of the tumor cells died.

Although more research is needed to find out ways of how to properly administer the compound, researchers are hopeful that these findings can help win the fight against cancer.

“We've seen glimmers of possibilities, and it seems that resveratrol could potentially be very important in treating a variety of cancers,” says Dr. Michael Nicholle, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine. “If we can develop a successful way to deliver the compound to tumor sites, resveratrol could potentially be used to treat many types of cancers."

Although experts do not recommend solely relying on over-the-counter resveratrol supplements at the moment, you may ask your doctor about consuming grapes and red wine in moderate amounts.

(Photo by Anders Ljungberg via Flickr Creative Commons)