A promising new study into the beneficial effects of probiotics has revealed that they can be used to treat patients with alcoholic cirrhosis – a disease which scars the liver and is most commonly caused by heavy drinking.

Probiotics Boost
In the early stages of contracting cirrhosis, there are few symptoms and side-effects, but in time the liver function steadily worsens and could deteriorate to leave the patient in need of a liver transplant..

It is well-documented that drinking and related health problems are on the rise in Europe. However, instead of the consumer taking the blame, drinking establishments have recently come under fire for increasingly serving only large measures of alcohol and not giving us the choice to drink responsibly. Hurrah! Someone else to blame!

Irresponsible Bars
According to the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), pubs and bars are acting "irresponsibly" by deliberately increasing the size of their wine glasses and often giving double shots at standard prices..

It is no secret that the world is on the brink of major upheaval as global warming is heating up our planet, raising water levels, and is set to render our favourite holiday destinations barren deserts. Among having numerous other effects, global warming is also set to change the way we farm our crops, because if we don't change our methods nothing will prosper in the coming years. The wine grape has traditionally been harvested all over the mediterranean region to great effect, producing luscious whites and full-bodied reds for the world to enjoy. However, if vintners continue to maintain their vineyards as they have done for centuries we may be left high and dry in the search for a decent..

Forget everything you've ever heard about alcohol being bad for you – it's not, at least in moderation, scientists have now actually proven that alcohol can be beneficial for your heart. In a study conducted at the University of Carolina, it was found that middle-aged non-drinkers were likely to benefit from protection against heart disease if they took to drinking something once a day. The research was conducted over a four-year period and involved 7,500 people, all of whom were tee-total to begin with. Scientists were looking to find a connection between drinking in moderation and the reduction of artherosclerosis, the hardening of..

The alcohol industry thrives, year after year on everyone's weakness for their favourite tipple and it is always trying to invent new ways to lure us in to buy their products and get us hooked. For some time, women have been the target for the alcoholic beverage industry, as merchants have begun to realise that the demand for alcohol among females is now huge..

The laws surrounding the labelling of wine are perhaps some of the most complicated created in France, so perhaps this is the reason why hundreds of vineyards across the country have recently been forced to withdraw their wines amid claims that the labelling is incorrect and misleading..

Have you ever splashed out on a bottle of wine because you presumed it was a better vintage than the cheaper bottles? Most people believe that a higher price will equal a better tasting wine, however studies into the subconscious minds of wine tasters reveal that this could actually be a trick to be capitalised on by wine merchants. Researchers at the California Institute of Technology gave a group of wine tasters two glasses of wine..

When is a German wine not a wine ? When its made from apples, says the European Commission. Angry German prime minister Roland Koch is "outraged" by the EU "regulatory madness" to bring German wines into line with the International Wine Organisation definition of a true wine. The IWO rules state that a wine can only be a "product from grapes", specifically excluding..

Yet more research has come out in favour of red wine as a powerful anti-oxidant supporting the 'French Paradox' theory that found locals can eat large amounts of saturated fatty acids with little effect on their long term health, providing they also consume regular amounts of red wine with their food. Ah, such hardship ! Michelle Micallef of University of Newcastle, Australia is the author of a detailed research paper (below) describing red wine as containing a naturally rich source of antioxidants..

The Beaujolais Nouveau, or more correctly the Beaujolais Primeur, launches at just past midnight on the third thursday of November, and 2007 is reported as being a vintage year. April brought with it an early burst of hot sunshine and dry weather, ripening the grape early promising a top quality wine..

Deep in the Lavaux region of western Switzerland the Brothers Dubois quietly go about their family business of producing a little known gourmet wine from the Challelas white grape. The first harvest made in 1947 delivered only 1,000 bottles, but recently due to the care and attention of three generations has grown to 200,000 bottles of their own label. Despite the unpredictable weather this year which has seen many ruined harvests across Europe..

New money it seems gets everywhere, wine collectors report that they cannot compete with the prices paid by a new breed of buyer out of Asia and Eastern Europe. Château Lafite Rothschild is now a fantastic $14,300 per case, up 65% in the last 6 months..

All you wine drinkers out there will be interested in a new book entitled The Wine Diet by author Roger Corder, drinking red wine every day is definitely encouraged as he outlines some major health benefits. His ideas seem to support the latest trends for finding heart healthy foods by associating dark fruits and chocolate with red wine constituents..

Even our wine it seems is being affected by the concerns over global warming. Vineyards in Italy are already moving to the north of the country to protect their grapes from the harsh ultraviolet sunlight...