Red Wine, Resveratrol Protect Against Food-Borne Illness

[seirish]

New research has uncovered yet another benefit of red wine and resveratrol- that of combating potentially fatal food-borne illnesses.

A team from the University of Missouri discovered that red wines, particularly Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Merlot, inhibited food-borne pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, and H. Pylori, without harming beneficial probiotic bacteria. The most promising results were seen with H. pylori, which caused stomach ulcers.

Ethanol (the alcohol that occurs in wine), pH levels, and resveratrol were separately found to have similar effects. Grape juice was also effective, but not white wine.

The researchers stated that phytochemicals in red wine, resveratrol being the main one, play a role not just as antioxidants but also inhibit food-borne pathogens. They concluded, "Now, we're concentrating mainly on the resveratrol effects on these pathogens."


Shana