A glass of Bordeaux may be the best thing for your teeth according to an article in The Independent, UK. Scientists have discovered that compunds in red wine play a role in preventing gum disease and tooth loss. The findings were presented at a meeting of the American Association for Dental Research in Orlando, Florida recently. Polyphenois, a compound found in the skin and seeds of the grapes has a"significant inhibitory" effect on the growth of bacteria in the gums.

Alcohol in excess is known to increase the risk of mouth cancer though red wine has a number of health benefits. These include reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease among others.

RESEARCH has revealed that a potent antioxidant in red wine dramatically slows ageing in organisms as diverse as yeast, fruit flies, fish and mice. And primates too! David Sinclair, who leads a research team investigating the ageing process at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA told an international genome conference in Victoria, Australia that antioxidant resveratrol protects against virtually all the major diseases of ageing in two ways - Resveratrol, which is found in plants, can prevent damage to DNA and proteins as organisms age.

Many of us derive pleasure from drinking new wines especially in pleasant settings and with appropriately matched food. That alone is reason enough for us to buy the occassional bottle and drink with friends and family.

Still, we've grown to believe that wine drinking is healthy and that if we want to live longer, what better way than to drink wine regularly. In this Better Homes and Garden article, the author asks whether women should drink wine for their health? The answer - red wine certainly can't hurt you but don't expect your doctor to be prescribing wine as a cure anytime soon.

It is now considered common knowledge that a glass or two of wine a day will make for a healthier and longer life. Various studies in the last eight years appear to have explained the French Paradox - why Frenchmen are able to drink wine everday and yet live the longest. Apparently, the oxidants in the wine reduce blood clotting.

Still not everyone buys this theory. An example is is Silvia Casabianca from the Naples Sun Times. She believes that researchers can prove any hypothesis when asked to prove something within the context of certain experiment controls. In a recent article, she discusses how the wine as health theory maybe a creation of the wine industry itself.

If you enjoy a glass of red wine at the dining table, there's good news. Recent studies have confirmed that red wine contains polyphenois which are powerful antioxidants. The polyphenols inhibit platelet formation, which reduces the risk of blood clots. They also slow cell deterioration. These factors can lead to a reduced risk of both heart disease and stroke.

An article published in March 2005 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons stated that drinking a moderate amount of red wine daily is good for the heart. A study in the January 2006 issue of Stroke concurred that moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of strokes caused by blockage of blood vessels.

People who buy wine also buy healthier food and therefore have healthier diets than people who buy beer, finds a study published online by the British Medical Journal. Apparently, wine drinkers tend to eat fruit, vegetables, and fish and use cooking oil more often and saturated fat less often than those who prefer other alcoholic drinks. Read the press release at Science Daily