Another piece in the puzzle …. Red wine and the modulation of inflammatory intestinal response

For the first time, it was demonstrated that moderate consumption of red wine could modulate the inflammatory intestinal response in healthy volunteers.

The potential anti-inflammatory effects of red wine and its bio-active compounds, polyphenols in particular, are subject to continuous investigations. Because of the observed protective effects of wine polyphenols in the inflammatory response (*), it was proposed to use phenolic compounds as an alternative to prevent or treat chronic inflammatory diseases. No in vivo studies have been carried out so far to examine the effects of wine polyphenols on intestinal inflammation.

For the first time, the current Spanish study investigated whether moderate consumption of red wine could modulate the inflammatory intestinal response in vivo. 24 immune markers were analyzed in feces from 34 healthy volunteers before and after consumption of red wine (12% ethanol, 1758 mg/L total polyphenols) for 4 weeks. The results indicated that moderate wine consumption during this time, significantly reduced the concentration of several cytokines among a subgroup of volunteers that exhibited unusually high cytokine values before the intervention. 16 immune markers were decreased to normal values, in particular those that promote initial inflammation. This study showed, for the first time, that moderate consumption of phenolic-rich red wine could modulate the inflammatory intestinal response in vivo.

Muñoz-González I, Espinosa-Martos I, Rodríguez JM, et al. Moderate consumption of red wine can modulate human intestinal inflammatory response. J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Oct 29;62(43):10567-75.

For more information about this article, read the scientific abstract here.

(*) InflammationInflammation is a type of nonspecific immune response that defends the body against the constant thr... is a type of nonspecific immune response that defends the body against the constant threat of microorganisms and chemical substances from the environment. All components of the gut participate in the intestinal immune response. The exchange of regulatory signals via the production of immune mediators (such as cytokines, growth factors, etc.) facilitates and amplifies cell interactions and/or activates inflammation. These mediators play an important role in the modulation of the intestinal immune system. Chronic intestinal inflammation primarily involves a dysfunction of the intestinal mucosa and an overproduction of the pro-inflammatory mediators.