Red wine kills oral bacteria
by Guy Hiscott
Red wine could help ward off dental diseases, researchers have discovered.
Researchers dipped biofilm models of dental disease-causing bacteria in red wine, alcohol-free red wine, red wine with grape seed extract, water and 12% ethanol.
Both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic wine successfully eliminated the bacteria.
It was also noted that polyphenols from tea and cranberries and phenolic extracts from wine and grapes reduce the growth of plaque-causing bacteria (known as streptococcus).
The researchers commented: ‘Our results show that red wine, at moderate concentration, inhibits the growth of some pathogenic species in an oral biofilm model.’
The study was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
