We know all too well how having too much vino can wreak havoc on your brain, but a new study suggests researchers may have an answer to how drinking moderate levels of wine might actually be good for your nerve cells.
Researchers from the Institute of Food Science Research in Madrid studied the “molecular mechanisms” of how wine protects the brain.
They say past studies have shown that low-to-moderate intake of wine can delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s but wanted to investigate the reasons behind it.
So instead of examining wine directly, they looked at metabolites – the compounds that are left after the wine has passed through the gut.
Wine GIF – Find & Share on GIPHYDiscover & Share this Wine GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.
The scientists then added these metabolites (extracted from waste samples from regular and moderate wine drinkers) to human cells under stress conditions resembling the initial stages of some neurodegenerative disorders.
In their experiment, they found that these metabolites were actually protecting the cells from dying.
According to the study, different intestinal flora – the microorganisms in your digestive tract – created different metabolites.
So basically, the gut bacteria influenced whether or not wine broke down into these protective compounds, suggesting that drinking a glass of pinot noir does not guarantee you will reap neurological benefits.
“Differences in our gut microbiota are leading to the different metabolites – which underpins the idea that humans benefit from food in different ways,” Dr Adelaida Esteban-Fernandez said.
Drunk GIF – Find & Share on GIPHYDiscover & Share this Drunk GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.
“This individual difference is a factor not to be neglected to understand the health effects of certain foods.
“We are now in need to advance our understanding of the effect of diet in the promotion of normal brain function.”
Dr Esteban-Fernandez hopes their research can show the importance of diet in protecting against diseases.
“It is very important to understand that certain food compounds are responsible for this health benefit in protecting against the onset of neurodegenerative diseases; no medication was involved,” she said.
Wine GIF – Find & Share on GIPHYDiscover & Share this Wine GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.
“I am not advocating to replace medicines by diet, but I want to raise more awareness how your diet is helping to prevent diseases or reduces the risk of getting sick.”
But before you start topping up your weekend tipple, the researchers are quick to point out this does not apply to heavy alcohol intake which can have severe and harmful side effects.
So bottom line, intestinal bacteria can break wine down into certain compounds that protect you against certain brain diseases, but for this to work, you need to have helpful gut bacteria which can be achieved through a healthy diet.
The study is published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
