“New study confirms wine protects against covid-19“headlined the review Vitisphere February 2. * But beware of the shortcuts taken by this specialist magazine… in oenology and the wine trade.

Behind this article, a study published in December 2020 by researchers at Taiwan Medical University in the journal American Journal of Cancer Research. According to these scientists, a compound found in several drinks and foods, tannic acid, inhibits the activity of the coronavirus and prevents it from entering cells. From there to say that the wine, since it contains some, protects against the covid, the gap is large.

A study only in vitro

And for good reason: first of all, the study was conducted in vitro, in the laboratory, on cell cultures. While tannic acid appears to inhibit the activity of a virus protein and block its entry into cells, this has only been observed in these cultures. No evidence that tannic acid works against the virus in vivo, in a human who consumes it, has not been demonstrated.

Read also: A glass of wine a day: already too much!

40,000 deaths from alcohol per year

Then, other foods and drinks, less harmful than wine, contain this acid: tea for example, but also grapes, persimmon, raspberries or sorghum. If an efficacy of tannic acid against covid was demonstrated, these foods would be preferred before wine.

Because wine, which contains alcohol, remains a dangerous drink for health, the toxic effects of which on the body are well known. Each year, alcohol is responsible for more than 40,000 deaths in France and remains the second cause of avoidable death after tobacco, recalls in particular Public health France.

“Science and wine lobby, it’s not the same”

The Taiwanese researchers do not conclude at any point in their study that wine is recommended against covid. They only mention wine as a drink that contains this famous tannic acid.

The short cut was then made by the wine lobby and the study turned into a compelling case for wine consumption. “Science and wine lobby, it’s not the same“recalled in reaction to this article Professor Axel Kahn, geneticist and president of the National League against Cancer, sure Twitter.

–
* Title changed on February 5. The new title “New study supports hypothesis of protective effect of wine compounds against covid-19” has been corrected “following reader feedback“, according to the review Vitisphere.