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Drinking Red Wine Is Good for Gut Bacteria
By Cari Nierenberg
WebMD Health NewsReviewed byLouise Chang, MD
May 25, 2012 — Drinking a daily glass of red wine not only tastes good to many people, but it’s also good for the bacteria lining your large intestine.
A new Spanish study suggests that sipping about 9 ounces of Merlot or a low-alcohol red wine changed the mix of good and bad bacteria typically found in the colon in ways that can benefit your health. …
Polyphenols are helpful plant-based compounds found in a variety of foods and beverages. Besides red grapes, many other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of polyphenols, as are coffee, tea, chocolate, and some nuts. …
The findings showed that the balance of intestinal bacteria shifted in the men in a similar way whether they drank the Merlot or low-alcohol red wine. In both cases, they had a larger percent of certain beneficial gut bacteria.
After drinking the polyphenol-rich beverages, the men also had lower blood pressure. It also decreased triglyceride levels, HDL cholesterol (the so-called good cholesterol), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, a measure of inflammation.
"This study was the first to show that regular, moderate consumption of red wine could have a noteworthy effect on the growth of select gut microbiota," the researchers conclude.
