Alcohol consumption guidelines differ widely from country to country. In the UK and Netherlands, it is only recommended that one glass or a pint of beer be consumed per day. In the US, it’s twice as high. In Mediterranean countries Chi,le is even more relaxed.
Alcohol consumption is responsible for more than 3m deaths worldwide (or 1 in 20), especially among young adults . This makes it more dangerous than heroin, cocaine, and cannabis.
It is believed that drinking alcohol in any amount increases the risks of many diseases, including liver disease and cancer. A number of research seem to indicate that a low consumption of red wine may have benefits.
Red wine and the gut
The new research supports the idea that drinking a glass of red wine every day could be good for your health, and more specifically your bacteria in your gut.
The gut microbiota is a community of trillions of microbes that inhabit our lower intestines. The gut microbiota is known to affect our health in multiple ways. It can also influence how our food, or drugs we take will affect us. It is partially due to the fact gut microbes produce thousands of chemical metabolites that affect our metabolism, immune system, and brain .
Read more: Moving to another country could mess with your gut bacteria
Previous research in small studies in humans and in artificial gut models has suggested that red wine could impact our gut bacteria. And in our recent study we investigated this relationship on a large population scale in different countries to understand how drinking red wine may impact gut health compared to other alcoholic drinks.
We compared the results of our study with two similar studies in the US and Belgium.
Looks moderate to my eyes. Kinga
In all three countries, we found that red wine consumption (even when combined with other alcohols) is associated with a greater diversity of gut bacteria. As a way to check for other genetic or familial biases we found that twins with more red wine consumption than their cotwin had more diverse bacteria in the gut. As well as white wine drinkers, who are expected to be similar in terms of culture and social background, there were no differences between them.
Red wine has other benefits too. We think that the changes in gut bacteria may have contributed to the lower obesity and “bad cholesterol” levels seen among twins who consumed red wine.
Precious polyphenols
The study is a new addition to the growing evidence that Red Wine, when consumed in moderation, can have a positive effect on health. Red wine’s health benefits are likely due to polyphenols.
Guts love polyphenols. Marako85
These molecules are found in many colourful vegetables and fruits, including grapes, as well as nuts and seeds. Polyphenols in grapes are found mainly in the skins, which are in contact with the wine for a longer period of time. These include tannins, which have a drying affect on the tongue, or Resveratrol. They also serve as fuel for gut bacteria. It is likely that this is why red wine has more of an effect on the gut bacteria than does white wine. The fermented grape juice contains more polyphenols than non-alcoholic grapes.
As an observational study, we can’t prove causality. Our results are consistent, but as we are observing th,ere are factors that are more closely associated than just by chance. We would need to conduct an intervention study in order to prove this. It may sound good, but it’s not easy to do. For now, the best choice for an alcoholic beverage today is a small red wine.
