Wine may prevent sunburn, with a new study suggesting that drinking red wine could be just as effective as sunscreen at keeping sunburn at bay.
Spanish scientists discovered that grapes contain compounds that block chemical changes in the body associated with causing skin damage.
These compounds, known as flavonoids, are also found in red wine.
But the flavonoids help prevent the skin from forming "reactive oxygen species." It's these ROSs that react with UV rays to destroy cells and cause sunburn.
The director of the study was Dr. Marta Cascante, a biochemist at the University of Barcelona.
She said in a written statement, "This study supports the idea of using these products to protect the skin from cell damage and death caused by solar radiation.”
For those who are teetotal, the authors say eating grapes is just as effective.
Ultraviolet A and B radiation has been linked to skin damage like sunburn, wrinkles, and skin cancer.
Cascante said in a written statement that these "encouraging results should be taken into consideration" to develop new skincare products.
The study was published in the May 11 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Another chemical in wine, resveratrol, has been associated with lowering levels of bad cholesterol and protecting the blood vessels' linings.
Another recent study even suggested red wine is "exercise in a bottle" because it staved off the detrimental effects of inactivity in rats, reports CBS News.
