Compounds in Red Wine Help Treat Acne: Study

Gulp down some red wine for a glowing and clear skin, according to a new study.

Various studies have found drinking wine improves life span and helps ward off the risk of diseases. The anti-oxidant properties of resveratrol  ( a compound present in the wine) prevents the growth of acne causing bacteria in skin, finds a new research. The expert team from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) tested the combined effect of resveratrol with benzoyl peroxide, a common acne medication, in destroying the bacteria, propionibacterium acnes. They cultured bacteria and administered different concentrations of the mixture and recorded changes that took places over a period of 10 days.

Both resveratrol and benzoyl peroxide were individually unable to get rid of acne and bacterial growth recurred eventually. Resveratrol inhibited the release of tissue and cell damaging free radicals while benzoyl peroxide produced free radicals that kill acne causing bacteria, reports the Fox News.

"We initially thought that since actions of the two compounds are opposing, the combination should cancel the other out, but they didn't. This study demonstrates that combining an oxidant and an antioxidant may enhance each other and help sustain bacteria-fighting activity over a longer period of time," said Emma Taylor, study author and assistant clinical professor of medicine in the division of dermatology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in a news release.

"It was like combining the best of both worlds and offering a two-pronged attack on the bacteria," added Jenny Kim, senior author and professor of clinical medicine in the division of dermatology at the Geffen School.

"We hope that our findings lead to a new class of acne therapies that center on antioxidants such as resveratrol," said Taylor.

More information is available online in the journal Dermatology and Therapy.