By Stephen Daniells, 09-May-2012
Related topics: Antioxidants, carotenoids, Phytochemicals, plant extracts, Probiotics and prebiotics, Cardiovascular health, Gut health, Research
Results of a small study indicated that red wine polyphenols were associated with increases in levels of certain gut bacteria, including and . In addition, researchers from the University of Barcelona report that blood pressure fell, as did total and HDL cholesterol levels, while levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a well-established marker of inflammation, wrote the scientists in the Prebiotics are defined as: The Spanish researchers recruited 10 healthy male volunteers to participate in their randomized, crossover, controlled intervention study. The participants went through four phases for the study: The first was a washout period during which they avoided any alcohol or red wine for 15 days. The participants were each required to drink only de-alcoholized red wine (272 mL/d), red wine (272 mL/d), or gin (100 mL/d) for 20 days each.
Fecal samples showed that all the intervention periods produced changes in the populations of certain gut microbes, with the changes different for the different beverages consumed. said the researchers.
While gin only produced an increase in and , and a disappearance of , compared with the other interventions, both red wine groups produced the greatest increase in the diversity of the fecal microbiota. Indeed, both red wine groups displayed significant increases in and , but no changes in species. In addition, the red wine groups were associated with increases in which was correlated to decreases total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, and CRP concentrations. wrote the researchers. they concluded.
Source:
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.027847
Authors: M.I. Queipo-Ortuno, M. Boto-Ordonez, M. Murri, et al.
(From http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Red-wine-polyphenols-show-prebiotic-potentialStudy/utm_source=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=
Newsletter2BWeekly&c=IvT2lLjyjtQP8JquZyilBw%3D%3D)