Red Wine Chemicals Could Be Key To Cutting Out Cavities

Tue, 15 Jan 2008

A new US study has revealed that a class of chemicals in red wine grapes may significantly reduce the ability of bacteria to cause cavities .

The findings, published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggest that specific polyphenols - present in large quantities in fermented seeds and skins left over after the pressing of grapes - interfere with the ability of bacteria to contribute to tooth decay .

In addition, scientists believe the wine grape-based chemicals may also hold clues for new ways to reduce the ability of bacteria to cause life-threatening, systemic infections .

Hyun Koo, assistant professor of dentistry at the Medical Center and author of the current study, said: "Most foods contain compounds that are both good and bad for dental health, so the message is not ‘drink more wine to fight bacteria’ ."

"We hope to isolate the key compounds within the winemaking waste that render bad bacteria harmless, perhaps in the mouth with a new kind of rinse," Koo added.

The study was carried out by the University of Rochester Medical Center in collaboration with the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Cornell University .

The publication is an early result of the team’s study on the influence of grape polyphenols on oral bacteria .
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