Drinking red wine could be good for the health of your gut, says new study | Life

LONDON, Aug. 29 – A new British study revealed that occasionally having a glass of red wine could have beneficial effects on bowel health, red wine drinkers exhibiting a greater gut microbiota varied than those who do not consume it.

Conducted by researchers from the Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology Department of King & # 39; s College London, the new study examined 916 binoculars in the UK to investigate the effect of different alcoholic beverages – beer, cider, red wine, white wine and spirits – on the intestinal microbiome.

The microbiome is made up of communities of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, which live in our body, mainly in the small and large intestines. An imbalance of "good" versus "bad" intestines has been associated with a series of negative health outcomes, including reduced immune system, weight gain and high cholesterol levels.

The results, published today in the journal Gastroenterology, showed that the intestinal microbiome of participants drinking red wine was more diverse and contained a greater number of different bacterial species, which is a sign of intestinal health compared to non-red wine drinkers.

However, there was no difference in the intestinal microbiome of white wine drinkers, beer or spirits compared to non-drinkers.

Red wine consumption was also associated with lower LDL and obesity levels, also known as "bad" cholesterol, which, according to the researchers, was partly due to the gut microbiota.

The results remained true even after taking into account factors such as age, weight, diet, and socio-economic status of participants. The same results were also obtained when the researchers also examined three different cohort groups in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Netherlands.

The authors explained that the positive association between red wine consumption and intestinal health seems to be due to the many polyphenols contained in red wine. Polyphenols, chemicals naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, have beneficial properties for health and fuel the microbes in our system.

Lead author Professor Tim Spector said, "This is one of the largest ever studies of the effects of red wine on the guts of nearly three thousand people in three different countries. It suggests that high levels of polyphenols in the skin of grapes may be responsible for much of the controversial health benefits when used sparingly. "

"Although we have observed an association between red wine consumption and intestinal microbiota diversity, drinking red wine infrequently, for example once every two weeks, seems to be enough to observe an effect. If you have to choose an alcoholic beverage today, it's red wine because it seems to potentially have a beneficial effect on you and your intestinal microbes, which can also contribute to the weight and risk of heart disease. However, it is always advisable to consume alcohol in moderation, added Dr. Caroline Le Roy, first author. – AFP-Relaxnews