Researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (Germany), whose study is published in the journal Nutrition Research. analyzed the effects of eight varieties of white and red wine, and their effects in vitro on adult teeth immersed in them for 24 hours. White wine attacks enamel the most, due to its high acidity, which lowers calcium and mineral levels.
White wine attacks enamel the most, due to its high acidity, which lowers calcium and mineral levels.
It is on this basis that the researchers established that regular consumption of white wine damaged the teeth.
Riesling, a white grape, is the one with the lowest pH – that is, the strongest acidity, the researchers say.
The researchers also noted that the tradition of eating cheese with a glass of wine made scientifically sound, since the acidic effects of wine can be counteracted by the high calcium level in cheese.
“The tradition of tasting different cheeses for dessert, or while drinking wine, could have a beneficial effect on preventing dental erosion, since cheese contains a large amount of calcium,” the researchers write.
These results should be taken with a grain of salt, according to the UK’s National Health Service, the National Health Service. Indeed, the tests were carried out in the laboratory. In addition, studies of fruit juices, sodas, liqueurs or spirits could lead to the same conclusions, says the NHS on its website Behind the Headlines.
