(Wine Spectator) - Research links drinking alcohol with disease-causing bacteria in the oral microbiome

When it comes to having a healthy smile, most wine drinkers are concerned with what wine does to their teeth. But a recent study on alcohol and oral health has focused attention down to a microscopic level. 

The study by New York University (NYU) researchers, published April 24 in the online journal Microbiome, looked at how drinking habits can influence the oral microbiome (the abundance and types of bacteria that inhabit your mouth). The researchers employed data on 1,044 U.S. adults between the ages of 55 to 87, who are participating in two ongoing national cancer trials. 

Of the participants, 614 were moderate drinkers, 160 were heavy drinkers and 270 were nondrinkers. The study used the American Dietary Guidelines definition for moderate drinkers: women who had up to one drink per day, and men who had up to two drinks per day. Women and men who had more than one and two drinks per day, respectively, were considered heavy drinkers in this study.