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THE value of Australia's wine exports rose to $2.8 billion in 2005/06, new figures show. The 2 per cent increase on the previous year comes as more Australian wine than ever is consumed locally and overseas. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures released today showed 722 million litres of wine was exported in 2005/06 - eight per cent more than the previous year. ... The United Kingdom imported $946 million worth of Australian wine, some 36 per cent of the overall export market. The next largest export targets were the US ($864 million) and Canada ($246 million), the ABS...

May 24, 2005 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Resveratrol, a chemical found in red grapes, blocks replication of the influenza virus in cell culture and in animals, Italian researchers report. "Resveratrol merits further investigation as a potential weapon for combating the growing threat of influenza," Dr. Anna Teresa Palamara of the Institute of Microbiology in Rome and colleagues conclude. In cell culture experiments, resveratrol prevented influenza from replicating. Study: Cigarette Smoke May Harm Fertility Big Guns: When Cops Use Steroids Study: Bypass Better for Clogged Arteries Resveratrol treatment had the greatest effect when administered 3 hours after exposure to...

RED wine could hold the key to preventing and treating serious gum disease, research suggests. Components found in the tipple, called polyphenols, were found to target molecules which attack cells causing periodontal disease. This affects the gums and the bone that surrounds and supports teeth, often causing teeth to move and fall out. Around 15 per cent of those aged 21 to 50 suffer from periodontitis, rising to 65 per cent of those over 50. Scientists in Quebec, Canada, suggest the polyphenols in red wine could be harnessed to tackle this disease. However, people should not rush for the wine...

A study published in the November 11 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that resveratrol, a compound found in grapes and red wine, lowers the levels of the amyloid-beta peptides which cause the telltale senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease. "Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol occurring in abundance in several plants, including grapes, berries and peanuts," explains study author Philippe Marambaud. "The polyphenol is found in high concentrations in red wines. The highest concentration of resveratrol has been reported in wines prepared from Pinot Noir grapes. Generally, white wines contain 1% to 5% of the resveratrol content present in...

LONDON - King Tutankhamen was a red wine drinker, according to a researcher who analyzed traces of the vintage found in his tomb. Maria Rosa Guasch-Jane told reporters Wednesday at the British Museum that she made her discovery after inventing a process that gave archaeologists a tool to discover the color of ancient wine. "This is the first time someone has found an ancient red wine," she said. Wine bottles from King Tut's time were labeled with the name of the product, the year of harvest, the source and the vine grower, Guasch-Jane said, but did not include the color...

Resveratrol may be the first real antiaging drug, but don't drink to your health just yet It seems too good to be true: A drug that would let you eat all the bread, cheese, cream sauce and red meat you wanted without risking coronary disease, while at the same time decreasing insulin levels, decreasing blood pressure, increasing good cholesterol and extending your lifespan to a degree normally achieved through strict dieting. Welcome to the promises of resveratrol, a compound in red wine that first gained recognition for its role in the French Paradox—the fact that the fatty food-consuming French have...

Take heart, red wine still best for coronary health By Andy Ho SCIENCE MONITOR HOW much red wine is good for the heart? The French people have a low incidence of heart disease despite a relatively high fat diet. Scientists speculate that this might have something to do with their habit of quaffing lots of red wine. In fact, by the early 1990s, a chemical found in wine called resveratrol had been identified as possibly the molecule doing the trick. To date, a lot of animal experiments indicate that resveratrol combats 'bad' cholesterol which damages the heart. Specifically, it quenches...

For wine lovers everywhere there is now another good excuse to reach for the corkscrew. It emerged today that scientists have discovered one more reason why a glass or two of your favourite Merlot could be beneficial to your health. Look here too! • Bargain prices on red • Coffee: A cup of goodness? It is already known that wine can reduce the risk of heart disease by thinning the blood and preventing dangerous clots. Now researchers have found that red wine acts as an antibiotic in the body, killing potentially fatal bacteria. They tested the effects of ingredients of...

BOSTON (Reuters) - Researchers have known for years that cutting calories can prolong life in everything from yeast cells to mammals. But an easier way to live longer may be as simple as turning a corkscrew. Molecules found in red wine, peanuts and other products of the plant world have for the first time been shown to mimic the life-extending effects of calorie restriction, a finding that could help researchers develop drugs that lengthen life and prevent or treat aging-related diseases. Researchers said on Sunday that one of the molecules, a compound known as resveratrol, was shown in a study...

VIENNA (Reuters) - If you must smoke, at least make sure you have a glass of red wine in the other hand. Researchers said Sunday there were enough beneficial chemicals in two glasses of red wine to suspend the harmful effect that smoking one cigarette has on the functioning of arteries. That does not prove regular red wine drinking can counteract the harm of chronic smoking, John Lekakis and Christos Papamichael of University Hospital in Athens told the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology. But the finding does suggest that red wine -- long seen as good for...

BOSTON, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Researchers have known for years that cutting calories can prolong life in everything from yeast cells to mammals. But an easier way to live longer may be as simple as turning a corkscrew. Molecules found in red wine, peanuts and other products of the plant world have for the first time been shown to mimic the life-extending effects of calorie restriction, a finding that could help researchers develop drugs that lengthen life and prevent or treat aging-related diseases. Researchers said on Sunday that one of the molecules, a compound known as resveratrol, was shown in...