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Red wine has no demonstrated protective effect against radiation during flights.

The Claim

A glass of red wine helps protect against radiation on flights.

Verified by Lenz ·

The Short Version

A glass of red wine is not an established way to protect against flight radiation. No supplied study tests that benefit in airline passengers. A preliminary human experiment found reduced laboratory-induced DNA damage after de-alcoholized wine consumption, while alcohol tended to increase damage and whole wine showed protection only relative to alcohol. The claim turns limited findings about wine constituents into an unsupported practical benefit from drinking wine on flights.

Caveats

  • The preliminary human experiment involved six men and irradiated blood samples outside the body; it did not measure protection during flight.
  • The radiotherapy study was observational and required prospective confirmation. Two listed sources describe that same study, not independent corroboration.
  • The evidence does not establish an effective serving size or timing for red wine against flight radiation; findings about de-alcoholized wine or isolated constituents cannot be treated as equivalent to alcoholic wine.

The Receipts

  1. The effects of resveratrol and selected metabolites on the radiation and antioxidant response

    doi.org

  2. Phenolic compounds from red wine are protective against the DNA damaging effect of ionising radiation ex vivo (Conference) | ETDEWEB

    osti.gov

  3. The principal phenolic and alcoholic components of wine protect human lymphocytes against hydrogen peroxide- and ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage in vitro

    doi.org

  4. Natural protection against radiation - American Chemical Society

    acs.org

  5. Wine ingredient protects against radiation: report

    reuters.com

  6. Moderate acute intake of de-alcoholized red wine, but not alcohol, is protective against radiation-induced DNA damage ex vivo -- results of a comparative in vivo intervention study in younger men

    pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

  7. Protection Against Ionizing Radiation-Induced Normal Tissue Damage by Resveratrol: A Systematic Review

    pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

  8. Radioprotective Effect of Moderate Wine Consumption in ...

    sciencedirect.com

  9. EFFECT OF POLYPHENOLIC COMPLEX FROM WINE ON RATS ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES ACTIVITY AT X-RAY IRRADIATION LOW DOSES

    doi.org

  10. High dietary antioxidant intakes are associated with decreased chromosome translocation frequency in airline pilots123 - The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

    ajcn.nutrition.org

+ 9 more sources — see the full list on Lenz

Filed Under

FlightsRadiationred wine

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