Beyond the antioxidant properties of Resveratrol, researchers in Belgium and the Netherlands studying the human microbiome have identified a new health benefit of consuming wine.  People who drink wine, tea or coffee and those who eat dark chocolate, were found to have a healthier and more diverse community of microbes in their gut.  In particular, the consumption of red wine encourages the presence of a specific anti-inflammatory bacteria, which scientists believe may ward off digestive tract illnesses.  While researchers haven’t zeroed in on what defines a healthy microbiome, greater diversity has been associated with improved general health.

Discovering patterns in microbiome composition — and their implications in human health — is still a nascent field of research, but there’s been considerably more progress made in the mapping and interpretation of microbial communities found in vineyard, wineries, must and wine.

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