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Here is another good reason to have a glass of red wine with dinner: A new study has found that red wine and grape seed extract have the potential to prevent cavities. 

According to the researchers, the finding could lead to the development of natural products that ward off dental diseases with fewer side effects. 

Cavities, periodontal diseases and tooth loss affect around 60 to 90 percent of the global population and the problem starts when certain bacteria in the mouth get together to form biofilms. Eventually these bacteria form plaque and produce acid which starts damaging our teeth. 

Fluoride in toothpaste and water and other method certainly help but the effects are apparently limited. Besides, currently available antimicrobial rinses can change the color of the gums and alter taste, so people are less likely to use them for as long as they should. 

Recently a research suggested that polyphenols, grape seed extract and wine can slow bacterial growth, so researchers decided to test them under realistic conditions for the first time, the press release added.

Researchers grew cultures of bacteria responsible for dental diseases as a biofilm and then dipped them for a couple of minutes in different liquids, including red wine, red wine without the alcohol, red wine spiked with grape seed extract, and water and 12 percent ethanol for comparison. Researchers found that red wine with or without alcohol and wine with grape seed extract were the most effective at getting rid of the bacteria. 

The report will be published in the ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.