Changes in wine consumption are influenced most by health: results from a population survey of South Australians in 2013

Aims: Individuals change their wine consumption over their life course, and mean volume typically declines with increasing age. Research on the reasons individuals change their consumption has primarily focused on youth/the young, but not on older adults. This study’s aim was to ascertain changes in wine consumption over a 12-month period in Australians at different ages and what influenced these changes. Methods: As part of the Spring 2013 South Australian Health Omnibus Survey, persons (n=2,908) aged 15 years and over who had most recently had a birthday in the selected household were interviewed in their home by trained interviewers. Of these, 48.9% were males and their mean age was 46.3 (standard deviation 18.9) years. Results: Regular, light–moderate wine consumers were generally stable in the amount of wine they drank over a 12 month period, particularly those aged 55 years and older. They generally cited health (48.0%) as a reason for decreasing their wine consumption. Those who usually consumed three to four standard drinks on days they drank wine were also more likely to give health (54.3%) as a reason for decreasing their consumption, as were heavy wine consumers (57.7%). The 25- to 34-year age-group was more likely to have decreased (36% vs 26%) their wine consumption in the last 12 months. The 15- to 24-year age-group was most likely to have increased (28% vs 10%) their wine consumption in the last 12 months. Health was most cited as the reason for decreasing this consumption, while family and friends were most cited as the reason for increasing this consumption. Conclusion: In this representative population of South Australians, the wine consumption of previously identified at-risk groups for both short- and long-term harms, ie, youth and older adults, as well as excessive and heavy drinkers, was most influenced by health, family and friends, and employment.Creina S Stockley, Anne W Taylor, Alicia Montgomerie, Eleonora Dal Grand

Is it scientifically justifiable to exclude wine and/or unfermented grape derivatives from the diet of consumers with or at risk of developing type-2 diabetes?

The abuse of alcoholic beverages has been associated with an increased risk of chronic-degenerative diseases, including diabetes mellitus, so that there is a general diffidence towards the low/moderate consumption of wine by individuals with type-2 diabetes (T2D) or at risk of developing it. This narrative review investigates by critical revision of the scientific literature whether wine/grape derivatives must be excluded or if their low/moderate consumption could be part of the daily diet of T2D individuals. Although further intervention studies on the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the development or control of T2D are needed, the burden of evidence suggests that low/moderate wine consumption could have beneficial effects. © The Royal Society of Chemistry

Sputum colour reported by patients is not a reliable marker of the presence of bacteria in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

AbstractSputum colour is regarded as a good marker of bacterial involvement in acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and guides many physicians in deciding on antibiotic treatment. Although most doctors rely on the sputum colour that is reported by patients, it can also be assessed using a validated colour chart. In this study, reported sputum colour and assessed sputum colour were compared as markers of the presence of bacteria, bacterial load, and systemic inflammation. Data on 257 exacerbations in 216 patients hospitalized with an acute exacerbation were analysed (mean age, 72 years; mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s, 44.8% ± 17.8% (± standard deviation)). Sputum colour was reported by the patients and assessed at the laboratory with a colour chart. Subsequently, quantitative sputum cultures were performed. C-reactive protein was measured as a marker of systemic inflammation. A sputum sample was obtained in 216 exacerbations (84%), of which 177 (82%) were representative. A pathogen was identified in 155 patients (60%). Assessed sputum colour was a better marker of the presence of bacteria (OR 9.8; 95% CI 4.7–20.4; p <0.001) than reported sputum colour (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.0–3.0; p 0.041). The sensitivity and specificity were 73% and 39% for reported sputum colour, and 90% and 52% for assessed sputum colour. Assessed sputum colour was clearly related to sputum bacterial load and C-reactive protein levels, whereas reported sputum colour was not. It is concluded that sputum colour reported by patients is an unreliable marker of the presence of bacteria in acute exacerbations of COPD. Assessed sputum colour is clearly superior and is also related to bacterial load and systemic inflammation

Lead in wine: a case study on two varieties at two wineries in South Australia

Sources of lead in wine were inferred from systematic assay of grapes must and wine, during winemaking. Two Australian wineries were monitored during the 1994 vintage with respect to vinification of Riesling and Shiraz. Juice and wine samples were collected at several process stages from crushing through to bottling, and were analysed for their total lead concentration by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Selected samples were subsequently analysed for lead isotope ratio (fingerprinting method) to infer possible sources of lead in samples. Lead concentration in fermenting must was found to vary during vinification. In particular, lead concentration increased significantly in open-top vessels, in holding bins and during pressing. Juice and wine stored in concrete or waxed wood also had a significantly higher concentration of lead compared to juice or wine stored in stainless steel. Moreover, fining with bentonite or filtering with diatomaceous earth contributed further to final lead concentration, while fermentation, both primary and secondary, removed lead. Overall, wines processed via these different systems still contained only traces of lead, and generally less than 30 μg/L (30 micrograms per litre). These trace levels are of no concern to human health when such wines are consumed in moderation.Stockley, Creina S.; Smith, Lester H.; Tiller, The Late Kevin G.; Gulson, Brian L.; Osborn, Chester D' A.; Lee, Terry H

Grapevine salt tolerance

Salinity, which is predominantly an issue for agricultural systems in arid and semi-arid regions, has the potential to impair grape production and wine quality, and its impact on the grape and wine industries is predicted to increase with climate change. Research on the physiological and molecular changes that occur in salt-affected vines has unveiled complex osmotic and ionic responses that include oxidative stress, water loss, photoinhibition, growth inhibition and necrosis. Proposed salt tolerance mechanisms include elevated antioxidant production, hydric regulation and salt exclusion from shoots and berries. These later of these mechanisms is found in certain Vitis genotypes that, when grafted as rootstocks, can protect fruit-bearing scions from accumulating significant amounts of saline ions from soils, most notably through the presence of specific transport proteins that are involved in regulating the transfer of ions from root to shoot via the xylem. Significant gaps in knowledge remain, however, regarding salt tolerance mechanisms for Vitis species, with many mechanisms inferred from other species or documented only at the level of gene expression. A better understanding of the mechanisms that confer salt tolerance in Vitis species is needed to improve the production of new germplasm that is locally adapted and better suited to the challenges of a changing climate. Hence, this review covers the current knowledge on the characteristics that are associated with salt damage and tolerance in grapevine cultivars and rootstocks and highlights possible future avenues that will enable development of new options for the industry to combat salinity.A. Zhou-Tsang, Y. Wu, S.W. Henderson, A.R. Walker, A.R. Borneman, R.R. Walker and M. Gilliha