Researchers led by Dr. Martin Weisse of West Virginia University report that both red and white wine efficiently wipe out bacteria responsible for most illnesses caused by food. While the study is preliminary, done in petri dishes rather than on humans, the results are dramatic. About ten million colony-forming units of shigella, salmonella and E coli bacteria were added to red wine, white wine, bismuth saticylate and solutions of pure alcohol and tequila. Wine was three to four times as effective as bismuth salicylate, the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol, in eradicating the bacteria, the researchers report. The tequila and alcohol were even less effective.
Research is especially active now on the phenolic compounds front.
At least half a dozen studies have just been published providing further evidence of the beneficial antioxidant properties of wine phenolics. Studies also continue to associate moderate consumption of wine and alcohol with lower risk of disease conditions such as arthritis and diminished bone density. I will provide an update on these topic next time.