Sick of getting sick?  Reversatol, the anti-aging property in red wine also kills viruses.

Recent studies have shown that reversatol in red wine can actually ward off viruses.  This includes the Swine flu which has people freaked out around the world.  I swear that this study is accurate, as my mother-in-law (who's a grade school teacher) almost passed up her ticket to last weekend's Miami Int'l Wine Fair due to a nasty cold.  Thankfully, she decided to show up anyway.  The next day, she seemed as healthy as a horse.

The fact that wine contains antiviral properties is actually not brand new information.  I dug up an article from The Free-Lance Star on March 4, 1977, stating that grapes, their juice, raisins, and wine all show antivial properties in the test tube.  The article references that the ancient Romans poured wine in their wounds, and mixed it with unfamiliar drinking water of countries they invaded.  It also states that wine killing bacteria has been a long-known fact.

As in the current study, the 1977 article states that red wine has more potency than white.  It seems the only fact they were unclear of then is that they thought it was the tannins and phenols of the grape which carried the antiviral properties.  Now it seems that it's actually reversatol, the property which has also been credited with anti-aging properties.

In truth, none of this really matters, unless you're not a red wine drinker.  If you really don't care for wine (then get off my website! jk!), try grape juice, or just wait for the pill to hit Walmart shelves.  But for us red wine lovers, this is great news.  It doesn't surprise me that red wine's antiviral properties are such an underground secret.  If we all knew this, would we need to run out and buy a box of Sudafed every time we get coughed on?

I know I personally have experienced wine kicking my cold's ass.  I'm looking forward to the next time I get sick to crack open a bottle of red.  Though it might be interesting to note that as a regular red wine drinker, I can't remember the last time I was sick.  How interesting.

The South Florida Punch would love to know your experience with red wine killing off your colds.  Has it worked for you?  Or as an avid red wine drinker, are you faced with less sickness?  Let us know.