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Wine and Oral Health

Wine seems to have all sorts so of benefits. We have already mentioned the positive research involving wine and altzhemier's, and wine and kidneys in this blog. Well now it seems that wine might make you a better kisser. Well, ok, there is no proof that wine makes you a better kisser - but there is evidence that it will make you a more responsible kisser.

A study out of the University of Pavia in Italy (and we all know about the passionate Italians) has shown that both red and white wine may help stop the spread of some bacteria associated with tooth decay and sore throats.

Interestingly, is was not the alcohol in the wine that was acting as the anti-microbial agent, as Maria Daglia and her team discovered. They separted wine into its chemical components and determined that the organic acids in wine, some from the grape itself, and some produced during fermentation, were the most effective in killing the bacteria.

So kiss away vinophiles! Maybe next time my dentist will offer me a drink instead of a new toothbrush!

Wine and Kidney Health

If you are a light to moderate wine drinker, then more good heath news awaits. A recent study has shown moderate consumption of wine has been linked to a lower risk of kidney cancer when compared to those who abstain.

The report comes from researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston based on 12 studies on more than 750,000 men and women. Those subjects who had at least one drink a day showed a 28% lower risk of getting renal cancer.

Perhaps the most interesting finding was that protection was directly related to the amount of wine drunk. Those who drank half a glass a day showed a 3% lower risk, those who drank one glass a day showed a 18% lower risk, and those who drank one and a half glasses a day showed a 28% lower risk of developing renal cancer.

Although the reasons for this protection are not completely understood, it appears that alcohol may improve insulin sensitivity and work as an antioxidant. It is thought that this allows the body to clear our the potentially cancer causing elements in the kidneys. But they stopped short of extending the results further with heavier drinker as there were few heavy drinkers in the study.

To read the full article, click here.