Red wine generally finds a place on the dining table during parties and other forms of celebrations, even on a regular dinnertime. (Photo : Getty Images)
Here is a piece of news that might be worth a toast.
A study conducted by a group of Chinese researchers confirmed the ability of resveratrol, found in berries and grapes, to prevent cardiovascular disease in mice, according to the group’s paper.
Resveratrol has anti-atherosclerosis effects, according to the researchers, namely, Ming-liang Chen, Long Yi, Yong Zhang, Xi Zhou, Li Ran, Jining Yang, Jun-dong Zhu, Qian-yong Zhang and Man-tian Mi.
“The gut microbiota is found to be strongly associated with atherosclerosis,” they said.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and titled, “Resveratrol Attenuates Trimethylamine-N-Oxide (TMAO)-Induced Atherosclerosis by Regulating TMAO Synthesis and Bile Acid Metabolism via Remodeling of the Gut Microbiota,” the research “indicate[s] that the gut microbiota may become an interesting target for pharmacological or dietary interventions to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.”
According to Web MD, atherosclerosis--“hardening and narrowing of the arteries”--is the “usual cause of heart attacks, strokes and peripheral vascular disease--what together are called ‘cardiovascular disease.’’’
People use grapes in red wine production, making this kind of wine to have resveratrol. Though mice were used in the research work, there might be a probability that resveratrol may also have the same kind of effect to humans.
Therefore, drinking red wine--in moderation, of course, as doctors would always remind--may prevent heart disease.
“Human beings have clusters of bacteria in different parts of the body, such as in the surface or deep layers of skin (skin microbiota), the mouth (oral microbiota) . . . and so on,” according to the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility.
ESNM said, “Gut microbiota (formerly called gut flora) is the name given today to the microbe population living in our intestine.”
Microorganisms or microbes are very small organisms that can only be seen using a microscope.
According to the British Heart Foundation, it is not advisable to drink more than two units of red wine because it is not good for the health, reported BBC Good Food.
How many units are two units?
“Nowadays, a standard glass of wine is served in a 175-ml glass and is often up to 13 percent ABV [alcohol by volume], which adds up to 2.3 units,” according to BBC News.
The group submitted their research work to mBio, an online-only, open-access journal published by the American Society for Microbiology. It was received on Dec. 23, 2015 and published on April 5.
Cheers to them!
