Another reason to drink wine

One of the fastest growing cancers is Barrett’s Esophagus, which is a precursor to oesophageal cancer. That cancer has increased 500 percent in the last 30 years so anything that can help prevent it is good news. Just one glass of red wine a day can lower that risk by 56 percent, according to a new study by the US Kaiser Permanente Division of Research and reported in the March issue of Gastroenterology.

This little known condition currently affects 5 percent of the US population and happens when heartburn or acid reflux permanently damages the oesophageal lining. Unfortunately those who develop Barrett’s Esophagus have a 30 – 40 fold higher risk of developing oesophageal cancer because of the Barrett’s Esophagus cells ability to mutate into cancer cells.

If you regularly suffer heartburn and take over the counter or prescribed medicines for it then you must check with your doctor on a regular basis because you will not get any warning signs that you may have this condition because it has no obvious symptoms. It is usually diagnosed when someone has an endoscopy for a bleeding ulcer or heartburn and the condition is revealed.

There is also no treatment available at the moment, so anything that helps prevent it is to be welcomed. In this case that means drinking a glass of wine (red or white – they don’t mention rose) every day and that will reduce your risk by 56 per cent. It’s only wine that does this – spirits or beer had no effect – at least on the Barrett’s Esophagus risk. Wine is already known to be beneficial for the heart, but why it works here is not really known. It may be that the antioxidants in the wine neutralize the oxidative damage caused by gastroesophageal reflux – a known risk factor for Barrett’s Esophagus. Or, because most people drink wine with their meals, that the food reduces the potential for damage to the tissue in the oesophagus.

Not a drinker? Then keep your weight down and increase your 5 a day of fruit and vegetables to at least 8 portions and that will also reduce your risk. This research is also backed up by other studies looking at the same issue in Australia and Ireland.

However, if you do constantly suffer from acid reflux and heartburn it would be better to tackle it directly with dietary and lifestyle changes, rather than relying on antacids. Achieving and maintaining a normal body weight and ensuring your diet is high in antioxidants with plenty of vegetables and fruit will go a long way to helping.

Red Wine Blues

I am one, among many apparently, who have had to give up drinking red wine because it gives me a headache. I can avoid that mostly by sticking to organic red wine, and just having one glass, but scientists at the University of California have developed a new device may be able to detect the chemicals in red wine that lead to the dreaded post-red headache.

The chemicals are called biogenic amines, and they’re found in a variety of fermented foods including wine, cheese, olives, nuts, cured meats and chocolate. The specific red wine headache is thought to be caused by two amines called tyramine and histamine, but other potential causes also exist. Red wine and sake were found to have the highest amine levels so if they are your tipple of choice then a sensible interim solution if you are susceptible to such headaches, is to avoid amine-rich food and drinks because, aside from headaches, amines can also trigger high blood pressure, heart palpitations and elevated adrenaline levels. None of which are desirable drinking companions.

The new detector, which is the size of a small suitcase, can analyse a drop of wine and determine its amine levels in five minutes. Don’t worry, they know how ridiculous you would look lugging a suitcase along to a restaurant or dinner party, so they are now in the process of developing a pocket-sized version that you can take with you. Quite how your hosts- or the sommelier – would react is another matter as my experience has been that is the very cheapest wines that have the highest number of chemicals.

Only a scientist wouldn’t think this through to the end-user stage but they could always develop a tiny first aid kit to cope with the reaction to your using it!