Drinking red wine boost good bacteria in your gut, researchers have found.
They say the impact on the ‘gut microbiome’- which helps support the immune system and metabolism – could finally explain the beneficial effects of red wine.
A study of nearly 3,000 people, including 900 British twins, found those who drink red wine have a significantly better balance of good to bad gut bacteria.
Researchers at King’s College London analysed the impact of beer, cider, spirits and white and red wine on the gut microbiome of 916 female twins.
The balance of bacteria was significantly better in red wine drinkers. They also had lower cholesterol and were less likely to be obese.
Even among pairs of twins, who share their DNA and upbringing, if one sister preferred red wine then her gut bacteria would be significantly healthier than her sister’s.
The researchers compared their results to similar experiments in the US and Holland, involving another 2,000 people, and found the trend held true.
Red wine seemed to have a significant impact even among those who said they had a glass only once every two or three weeks.
The academics believe this is down to polyphenols – defence chemicals naturally present in grapes – which they think acts as fuel for good bacteria.
Researcher Dr Caroline Le Roy, whose work is published in the Gastroenterology medical journal, ‘Moderation is still advised’, said: ‘While we have long knows of the unexplained benefits of red wine on heart health, this study shows that moderate red wine consumption is associated with greater diversity and a healthier gut microbiota that partly explain its long-debated beneficial effects on health.’
By Ben Spencer, Medical Correspondent.