Intestinal bacteria seems to be the key to this benefit. Never thought of that.
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Background Intestinal bacteria (microbiota) are thought to play an important role in helping us digest foods (such as those high in fiber), modulate immune function, and maintain a healthy body weight as well as providing a host of beneficial byproducts (such as vitamin K). Indeed, having a "balanced" community of intestinal microbiota is thought to confer good health, whereas imbalances are related to a variety of health concerns such as intestinal discomfort and obesity. Many factors, such as dietary intake, can influence which bacteria a person harbors in his or her intestinal tract and how these bacteria function. Thus, many experts believe that effects of the overall diet on determining intestinal bacterial community structure may be especially important in modulating disease risk. One group of dietary components thought to function in this regard consists of the polyphenols, a complex group of plant-derived chemicals with potent antioxidant and antiinflammatory roles in the body. Found in a diverse group of foods and beverages such as red wine, fruit, vegetables, chocolate, tea, and coffee, these biologically active compounds are associated with lower risks of a variety of serious conditions such as heart disease. Might polyphenols function in part by altering intestinal microbial community structures? To help answer this question, Spanish researchers conducted a controlled clinical trial designed to test the effect of red wine polyphenols on a variety of health outcomes, including intestinal bacteria. You can read about their results in the June 2012 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Study Design A total of 10 healthy men (mean age: 48 years) were enrolled in this study composed of a 15-day baseline period (no wine consumed) and 3 consecutive 20-day intervention periods. During the interventions, subjects drank red wine (~2 servings/day), de-alcoholized red wine (~2 servings/day), or gin (~3 servings/day). Blood, urine, and fecal samples were collected at the end of each period. It is noteworthy that both the regular and de-alcoholized red wines contain polyphenols, whereas gin does not.
Results In comparison with baseline, bacterial profiles were shifted similarly by regular or de-alcoholized red wine, such that Bacteroides and Prevotellaceae made up a larger percentage of the overall communities. In contrast, gin consumption increased Bacteroides and Clostridium frequencies and resulted in a disappearance of Prevotellaceae. Red wine consumption also lowered blood pressure, blood lipids, and markers of chronic inflammation.
Conclusions The authors concluded, "This study showed that red wine consumption can significantly modulate the growth of select gut microbiota in humans . . ." Indeed, these results provide additional evidence that moderate wine consumption may impart important health benefits and that this effect is not due to the alcohol per se but instead to other compounds (such as polyphenols) found in grapes.
Reference Queipo-Ortu�o MI, Boto-Ord��ez M, Murri M, Gomez-Zumaquero JM, Clemente-Postigo M, Estruch R, Diaz FC, Andr�s-Lacueva C, Tinahones FJ. Influence of red wine polyphenols and ethanol on the gut microbiota ecology and biochemical biomarkers. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2012;95:1323�34.
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- Jim
"A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he gets to know something." �Wilson Mizner
There is no benefit to red wine, it is overall unhealthy, like all alcohol products.
What is healthy is the resveratrol found in grape seed and grape skins. It is better to just eat grapes. Even better, drink grape juice and best of all, take a concentrated resveratrol supplement.
Alcohol is bad for the liver, kidneys and brain. It is a diuretic and also increases the chances for cancer, reduces social inhibition and impairs motor skills. There is also this article: Guardian: There is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol consumption by David Nutt, professor of neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London.
The amount of damage alcohol does to individuals and society in most Western cultures is astronomical. I live in a town of 16,000 and alone we have about over 20 places that are bars or restaurants that serve alcohol. We also have 2 dedicated liquor stores and several others that also bottles and six-packs. That is all most adults do socially, they just sit around, make stupid gossip and drink.
There is no benefit to red wine, it is overall unhealthy, like all alcohol products.
What is healthy is the resveratrol found in grape seed and grape skins. It is better to just eat grapes. Even better, drink grape juice and best of all, take a concentrated resveratrol supplement.
There were a few studies that indicated resveratrol from red wine didn't have the benefits people originally thought. My personal opinion is that there are other benefits like catechin and quercetin in red wine and I really don't think it's the resveratrol. The content of resveratrol in red wine is actually really low.
In 2012, the University of Connecticut announced that it had concluded that Dipak K. Das, Ph.D., a professor in its Department of Surgery and director of the Cardiovascular Research Center, was guilty of 145 counts of fabrication and falsification of data and that the university had notified eleven journals about this problem . In recent years, Das had gained attention for his reports on allegedly beneficial properties of resveratrol. As of June 2012, four of the journals have retracted twelve of his papers, many of which were repeatedly cited by others
I drink a glass of red wine every night and on weekends maybe 2 or more. Sites like WebMD and mayoclinic seem to indicate a glass is healthy, but more than 2 can cause issues long term.
China is new to wine, but will soon become the second largest consumer. It would probably be a good thing to stock up now, before it becomes scarce.
Quote:
By Lucy Shaw, from The Drinks Business
In partnership with CITIC East China Group, the new winery, in the only coastal wine producing area in Asia, is expected to produce 120,000 bottles of wine a year. ...
Chinese wine imports meanwhile, were worth over US$1.27bn last year, after an annual increase of 88%.
According to the latest figures from Vinexpo, Asia is on course to become the world�s second biggest market for wine within the next three years. Chinese consumers will increase the amount of wine they drink by 54% by 2015 as consumption reaches 1.9 to 2 liters per person, the Vinexpo study found.
... When China does something, it is done in a big way. When one and half billion people want something the numbers start to soar.
The Chinese, as a population, have never considered alcoholic beverages as an important part of their culture. As a matter of fact, they prefer to maintain clarity in their thinking by drinking tea.
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However, they are beginning to realize that a little enjoyment and relaxation is good for their health and improves their creativity. They recognize that wine, and in particular French wine, is renowned across the world and that French wine demands a high price. https://drpinna.com/china-starts-to-drink-wine-30917
I'm writing a book on drinking, and while too much alchohal can be bad for you, as well as hard liquors, red wine has been around since the beg of time and if used moderately red wine does have health benefits. It can lower blood pressure which is great for cardivascular diseases, and has antioxidant properties. Sure some wines have more sulfates, that is why you need a good red wine, and just a little drink will not only promote health, but some sanity as well
my father tells me that this blood pressure drops with one to two glasses, but when he gets to his forth glass his blood pressure he's checked and it's worse. it's that fine line moderation being healthy and taking it to far.
I have heard that alcohol is basically a mycotoxin of the Saccharomyces yeast - brewer's yeast, but that even the grapes themselves, the cork, etc may contain even badder mycotoxins. That just does NOT sound good.
If one has an immunity problem like hashimoto's wouldn't it be wise to not even chance the possible contamination from mycotoxins? The person I am familiar with that has Hashi's has the WORST digestion. Not one doc will check for any yeast issue.
I wonder.
ETA - there are organic wines: Eppa, Our Daily Red, Frey that have no detectable sulfites - can they be tested for an abundance of toxins?
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Dr. Ron Paul is still in the race for president and is a strong contender for the 2012 GOP nomination.
I have heard that alcohol is basically a mycotoxin of the Saccharomyces yeast - brewer's yeast, but that even the grapes themselves, the cork, etc may contain even badder mycotoxins. That just does NOT sound good.
If one has an immunity problem like hashimoto's wouldn't it be wise to not even chance the possible contamination from mycotoxins? The person I am familiar with that has Hashi's has the WORST digestion. Not one doc will check for any yeast issue.
I wonder.
ETA - there are organic wines: Eppa, Our Daily Red, Frey that have no detectable sulfites - can they be tested for an abundance of toxins?
I honestly didn't know anything about mycotoxins before your post. But it looks like in 2006 Europe has a standard that tests wines. It doesn't appear USA does, but from googling it appears mycotoxins are found in everything from juices at the store to coffee.
Everything I could find says ochratoxin A toxicity in humans is very rare
Mycotoxins are fairly new to me - within a year - of finding "know the cause" show on tv. Very interesting findings, too!
The idea is to limit the amount of mycotoxins and not feed the yeasts that are associated with it, from what I understand of the content of the show. That if one is suffering from a systemic yeast/fungus invasion, diet is crucial to attaining good health. As well as NOT asking for antibiotics for every sniffle. Replacing GUT strength. Etc.
I fear my daughter may be one of those that has an infection...BAD, too. We went off grains - NO SUGAR - other than what is allowed on a Phase I diet - and alcohol is not allowed as well.
We are more of the lemon/water or gingerale - water alone - raw dairy - herbal tea drinker types. No potatoes, NO CORN, NO flour/wheat/barley/rye as well as no soda, no juices. We make our own. She was found to be sensitive to grains and the meats that are usually fed the grains: beef/chicken, so we are grassfed meat eaters - if at all. We are fast becoming organic raw plant eaters.
I am so thankful there is amaranth, quiona and tapioca!! They make up our "breads"
We have been known to buy a bottle of organic grape/no sulphites detected red wine - I do have some concerns. Maybe just once a MONTH, instead of the once a week route until I find more information.
More benefits of red wine
I know they are getting into coffee as well
Eventually we will find (mostly in retrospect, of course) that we can be very grateful to those people who have made life most difficult for us. 
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