Red Wine: An Immune Booster?

By Kelley Herring

A robust Cabernet Sauvignon or a sweet and foxy Muscadine may be a better beverage choice when it comes to your immune system, new research suggests.

Scientists at the University of Florida evaluated the effects of different types of alcohol on immunity. In the eight-week study, mice were divided into four groups: teetotalers (drinking water only), Cabernet Sauvignon drinkers, Muscadine drinkers, and ethanol drinkers (receiving alcohol in concentrations equivalent to that in the wine).

The mice were given the equivalent of two or three glasses/servings of wine or alcohol each day. Researchers then made the mice mildly ill to determine how the alcohol would affect their immune responses.

While the mice that were drinking ethanol experienced a suppressed immune response, the mice that drank either of the red wines maintained normal immunity. What's more, the wine-sipping mice had double the antioxidant capacity of the animals that drank ethanol or water.

If you choose to imbibe, opt for immune-friendly, rich red wines packed with antioxidants. Cheers!

Word to the Wise: Persiflage

"Persiflage" (PUR-suh-flahzh) - a French word - is frivolous or bantering talk. It is ultimately from the Latin for "to hiss at" or "to whistle."

Example (as used by Rosemary Mahoney in A Likely Story): "He was somber and wordless and utterly unresponsive to my mother's charming persiflage."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2252, 01-15-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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