Researchers have now identified yet another reason why you should keep enjoying a glass of red wine.

While Red wine stains the teeth, a new study says that it might protect your oral health at the same time. The findings were published in the journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

The research was led by M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas and colleagues from Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación in Madrid, and the Department of Health and Genomics at the Center for Advanced Research in Public Health in Valencia.

Polyphenols to the rescue

We already know plenty of reasons to have a nice glass or red and how good it can be for our health. A recent study said that it could help to keep the brain young, and previous research has tied it to hormonal health as well as heart disease prevention. Studies have also shown that drinking a glass of vino each day may help us to live longer as well. But as we always say, alcohol is good for us in moderation, not in excess and should be consumed with food and not on an empty stomach.

While know that red wine has many health benefits, new research from Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias de la Alimentación in Madrid, and the Department of Health and Genomics at the Center for Advanced Research in Public Health in Valencia have revealed red wine may protect against the formation of cavities and against gum disease.

Many of the health benefits of red wine come from its content of polyphenols, which are a series of micronutrients with antioxidant properties. We know that some of these antioxidants, such as resveratrol, can protect against action of free radicals, which play a key role in the cellular aging process.

But polyphenols are also super nutrients which help our microbiome and help with our good gut bacteria. Some polyphenols can be absorbed into the small intestine and there they interact with the gut microbiota and fend off bad gut bacteria that might threaten our health. The research team found that polyphenols found in red wine and grapes could have a similar, protective effect in the mouth, fending off harmful oral bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease.

What the researchers found was that the two red wine polyphenols caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid were most effective at repelling the harmful oral bacteria and preventing them from attaching to healthy tissue. They also found that phenolic metabolites, which are substances formed as the polyphenols start transforming in the mouth, suggested that these small products may in fact be the “active ingredient” associated with the polyphenols’ protective effect.

This is great news for those that like to have a nice glass of red and this research also adds to more health benefits of drinking red wine. But as said before, red wine is an alcoholic beverage and as such it is important not to overdo it either.

What is your friend, in moderation, can also be your enemy in excess. The good thing is now you can enjoy a nice glass of red in moderation and know you are getting many health benefits from it, and also know that your teeth and gut health (microbiome), are being looked after as well.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate