Naturally, this leads to a tempting question: Should smokers reach for a glass of wine to protect themselves from lung cancer?

Nice try, but no — wine likely won’t save smokers from developing lung cancer. Here’s why: Firstly, the meta-analysis only included observational studies, which can show associations but can’t prove cause and effect. Secondly, while certain compounds in red wine have shown anticancer effects in lab studies, these results don’t translate to real-world protection.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Does wine consumption affect lung cancer risk? Original paper