A new study has found that drinking red and white wine could actually have some health benefits and that wine is actually a disinfectant for germs, including those that cause dental plaque and sore throats
An old study in 1988 found that wine had antibacterial properties, and the latest research has concluded that the acidity and alcohol concentration in wine isn’t what’s responsible for this, as was previously believed.
Instead, it is thought to be due to a number of organic compounds found in both red and white wines.
The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found that the compounds found in wine kill 99.9% of dental bacteria and germs that cause sore throats.
Italian scientists from the University of Pavia said: ‘Several studies suggest that moderate wine consumption has beneficial effects on human health.
‘The antioxidant and antiradical properties, particularly of red wine, attributed mainly to a high polyphenol content, appear to protect against the risk of coronary heart disease and cancer.
‘Our findings seem to indicate that wine can act as an effective antimicrobial agent against the tested pathogenic oral streptococci and might be active in caries and upper respiratory tract pathologies prevention.
‘In conclusion, both red and white wines were proved to exert in vitro antibacterial activity against several oral streptococci.’
Links
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
