PAVIA, Italy, June 26 Red and white wine are effective in controlling several strains of streptococci bacteria that are involved in tooth decay, found an Italian study.
The study, published in the July 11 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found wine can act as an effective antimicrobial agent against the tested pathogenic oral streptococci and might be active in caries (cavities) and the prevention of upper respiratory tract pathologies.
Study leader Gabriella Gazzani and colleagues point out that previous studies suggested that moderate wine consumption has health benefits after reaching the stomach and digestion -- in protecting against heart disease and cancer.
Wine's antibacterial activity has been recognized since antiquity, when wine was used to treat infected wounds, according to Gazzani of the University of Pavia.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
