Research published in the specialist medical magazine Thorax today suggests that each daily glass of red wine gives 13 per cent protection against cancer when compared with non-drinkers.

But rosé wine made no difference and white wine seemed to have the opposite effect, the study found. Neither beer nor spirits appeared to affect the development of cancer either.

The researchers, from the University of Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, said that the beneficial effects are due to the tannins in red wine, which have antioxidant properties.

Resveratrol, found in the skin of red grapes, has also been shown to stifle tumour development, they said. But they warned against drinking too much red wine in an attempt to ward off lung cancer because of the negative affects of high alcohol consumption.

Professor Andrew Peacock of the British Thoracic Society acknowledged the benefits of red wine but insisted that the best way to ward off lung cancer was not to smoke. “We have known for a while that drinking a little red wine can protect against a number of conditions, ranging from the common cold to coronary heart disease,” he said.

“This new research suggests that red wine, in moderation, could also protect against lung cancer — the most common cancer in the UK.”

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