Study says red wine is good for your teeth

Red wine, already linked to improved longevity, neurological function, and cardiovascular health, is now thought to be of help in keeping your teeth clean.

A study that will soon be published in the journal Food Chemistry concludes that natural substances called proanthocyanidins, which are found in the edible parts of many plants and which are part of the chemical makeup of red wines, remove a common sugar-consuming bacteria from teeth.

The researchers, who are scientists at Pavia University in Italy, say that the proanthocyanidins could be separated from red wines and potentially used to improve oral health. Some wines include sugars, which contribute to tooth decay.

Dental benefits from red wine consumption are available even to those who prefer the non-alcoholic version. The researchers achieved the same results after removing alcohol from the tested wine.

Another study, done in Canada in 2006, showed that red wines can also improve gum health. Polyphenols, another common substance found in plants used to make red wine, increase the response of immune system cells in the gums to bacterial infection.