Health: Is wine the cure for acne?

Oct 22, 2014

(UTSanDiego) - UCLA researchers have demonstrated how an antioxidant called resveratrol, derived from grapes and found in wine, works to inhibit growth of the bacteria that causes acne.

A team of researchers also found that combining resveratrol with the acne medication benzoyl peroxide may enhance the drug’s ability to kill the bacteria.

The findings were published in the current online edition of the journal Dermatology and Therapy. Early findings show that resveratrol and benzoyl peroxide attack acne bacteria, called propionibacterium acnes, in different ways.

Resveratrol is also the substance that led some doctors to recommend that adults should consume red wine for good heart health. The antioxidant stops the formation of free radicals, which cause cell and tissue damage. Benzoyl peroxide is an oxidant that works by creating free radicals that kill acne bacteria.

The team grew colonies of the bacteria that causes acne, then added various concentrations of resveratrol and benzoyl peroxide separately and together. For 10 days, researchers watched the cultures for bacterial growth or killing. They found benzoyl peroxide was able to initially kill the bacteria at all concentration levels, but the effect didn’t last beyond 24 hours.

Resveratrol didn’t have a strong killing power, but blocked bacterial growth for a longer period of time. The two compounds together proved the most effective in reducing bacteria counts.


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