Red wine - anyone agreeing with me it helps? (or is it me drinking it true)

[Florian]

Hello,
Quite glad I found this forum. I have been searching the topic for 2-3 years maybe, and surprisingly never came across this site before.
My problem with dry eye may have started around 4 years ago. People with same problem may have a similar history-
I started using different types of drops and gels, those with conservatives, and those without.
Later I added on dietary supplements: Omega three / six capsules, linseed oil. These came from my first internet searches,
knowledge was provided there by Xeno http://www.xenophilia.com/zb0061.htm
I picked up on his hint on inflammation, which today I would call is my "protagonist" of possible causes for my personal dry eye symptom.
Xeno [a pseudonym] could possibly be on this forum a s well...
In a brief email exchange with him, I got another possible cause for my symptoms, where he pointed me at Demodex mites,
nasty species of little mites http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demodex
that live in hair follicles on the face and ! sebaceous glands. Xeno recommended a Tea tree oil face-rub / face-wash which does improve things
for me (thanks Xeno here again, should you be among the viewers of this post). Tea tree oil kills these little buggers.
Having gone through my history pretty much (in order to make the post look more serious, I hope it works) , I like to return
to the topic of wine / inflammation. Time ago I noticed that when having too much alcohol, in some occasions
the next day my dry eye problem would actually NOT have occurred overnight - and I only get it overnight by the way.
Being puzzled by this, I thought over time and re-occurence that it may be connected to the alcohol consumed...
which would have been a bad news, because a treatment that involves drinking lots of alcohol may resolve one problem but create another.
Again over time, I noted that it was particularly with red-wine, that the symptoms would stay away next day.
I looked this up on the internet, with some success http://www.nutraingredients.com/Rese...other-alcohols
which would suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties may well be true.
My interest now, if anyone likes to provide his opinion or feedback, is the success rate, if we compare Resveratrol products
with consumption of red wine. Seeing the disadvantages of continuously drinking lots of red wine, I then got myself
Resveratrol extracts, and taking these.. I believe that with Resveratrol extracts you need a minimum intake of 200 - 250 mg a day in order
to have any success. There are other applications for Resveratrol supplements, which allow smaller doses,
but I think dry eye / inflammation treatments needs a bigger dose. I am busy self-testing aforesaid statement at the moment.
So now, if you choose between expensive extracts and a good wine, I guess can be an option (maybe not every day)
but once a week or so? I think it would take maybe 2-3 glasses..? Am I an alcoholic? Your thoughts appreciated..!

[Guest]

For me, red wine flares up my rosacea, which then flares up my MG's and my eyes. But obviously this wouldn't be the case for everyone!

[LaDiva]

I echo what SAAG just said, and also have rosacea. I've quit drinking completely, but might consider wine without sulfides in the future. Loved my glass of red, so if you can drink it and it doesn't make your eyes worse, enjoy.

[irish eyes]

Red wine would adversely affect my eyes so I avoid it.

[Faith1989]

I don't have rosacea, but inflammation in my eyes (docs still dont know why, apparantly my eyes are "normal") still dont believe that...but neway I LOVE WINE but my eyes sure hate it. I would also avoid it drinking anything that dehydrates the body to much!

[villfan22]

I think it would take maybe 2-3 glasses..? Am I an alcoholic? Your thoughts appreciated..!

most people in Scotland have 2-3 glasses on their cornflakes in the morning before going to work, so no, 2-3 glasses a week would not make you an alcoholic.

The temptation with dry eyes is to think that alcohol = dehydrating = bad for eyes! While this is no doubt true, moderation is key. So a couple of glasses of red wine a week, along with a glass of water, for me provides a little relaxation and possibly some systemic effects that are good for me! So fill the glass and bottoms up!

[robster]

Been tee-total since my dry eye started as it only takes a small bit of alchol to dehydrate me and flare my eyes up.

[No tears in ATL]

Cheaper white wine sends mine over the edge, don't know why. I have nothing to back this up but I swear it's true for me. Red is less of a problem in moderation, but have to be very careful.

[Florian]

Thanks peeps. I don't have the rosacea problem so much. I guess the hydration comment is helpful. I suppose that Scots are weary of dairy allergies, which they avoid altogether by replacing it with with a glass of wine with their corn flakes :-) From a broader point of view, and what I have seen from the 1 comment on another discussion on chronic inflammation, I may try to cut down dairy and wheat / oats. Some other forums suggest that eating raw can help sort out autoimmune problems... Just that oats and wheatbix was sooooo convenient.

[Rebecca Petris]

I suppose that Scots are weary of dairy allergies, which they avoid altogether by replacing it with with a glass of wine with their corn flakes

Ah just the grin I needed on a Friday morning

[bakunin]

I guess if red wine is good for inflammation it is not because of alcohol, but because it is fermented.

So I would try other fermented foods to see if it helps like wine.

I'm drinking water Kefir for 3 weeks - 1 liter/day (it is a fermented drink which tastes more or less like wine). No improvement at all. I got worse, but I think, and want to believe it is a "healing crisis", because i'm felling fatigued either.

[DCRdryeye]

Many people feel better on Kefir and I believe it's production conserves Lactase which means it's okay for Lactose intolerant people. In terms of Red wine and Resveratrol, you'd need a significant portion of red wine to get 200mg of Resveratrol which by then your liver will pack it in. Go for the supplements. They are anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and increase sirtuin1 which is an anti-ageing molecule. So if it does not help your eyes (I've read it's helped a few on this forum) then at least you may live longer

I've been taking about 200mg of Resveratrol for one month now. Have they helped my eyes. I can't tell because I'm on a "dry eye healing" binge and seeking treatments where possible (withing the restriction of Australia) so it's hard to pin point what's caused any relief. BUT, what I CAN tell you is the ONE true thing that has made my eyes recently feel like they were normalfor an extended period of time, I didn't need moisture chambers, no tear drops and for the first time in 5 yrs I was pain free was going to an dry arid part of Australia for a few days (Uluru - just got back last night) where the temperature was never below 37 degrees. In fact, I thought I'd have significant problems with the lack of moisture and packed a series of dry eye meds in ice, and a truck full of artificial tears - BUT THE OPPOSITE occured. I must start a thread on this experience. My theory is that the constant heat caused constant meibomian gland secretion!!!

Today was my first day back and unfortunately, my eyes are back to 'some' degree of stinging and irritation. So I can vouch for heat getting those much need secretions flowing.

[Florian]

@ Bakunin. As far as I read, the red wine thing comes down to it's Resveratrol content. It has little to do with neither fermentation, nor alcohol content. When it comes to fermented dairy products, I believe fermented stuff like yoghurt is better for the human system than milk. My opinion here is that even diary allergies may respond less to fermented dairy products.. I rather have breakfast with yoghurt than with milk. I think Kefir is generally good for you, but it's not dependent on the dosage. I dont think a higher dosage of Kefir would impact on your dry eye problem.
@ DCRredeye. I have just found an interesting article here, which outlines that Resveratrol availability to the body also depends on metabolism and bioavailability. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...ol/#metabolism This adds to the "personal" research around Resveratrol with another dimension: the actual concentration of Resveratrol in blood, and its metabolism. If you go into some of the links provided there, you may find that concentration is highest at 30min after consumption of supplements. Also, they suggest that different sources provide a different metabolic rate. My guess is that this very basic consideration can be an important factor for many a supplement that people take. So maybe, the type of Resveratrol provided in supplements is metabolized quickly, too quick. Possibly other natural sources provide a slower release of Resveratrol.. which would in turn support my red wine theory. For someone interested to look a bit deeper into this, I recommend the link above. Resveratrol not only affects inflammation, but also has hormone similar behavior, or influence. Because hormones also are named as possible causes for dry eye - now we may not be sure which actually has a bigger impact. DE patient have good good and bad spells with our ailment. My guess is such spells could be hormone related. I had emigrated Europe some 7 years ago and left for South Africa. Dry eye problem started around about 3 years ago. I don't think it is necessarily related to my personal climate change. I am pretty much interested to find the actual cause or condition myself, call that on a healing "binge" if you like. Trying out different stuff at once means of course one can never be quite sure where the improvement is coming from.
For those wanting to know a bit more about Red wine - there are wines that have concentrations, here goes: http://www.livestrong.com/article/52...e-resveratrol/ and this one http://www.livestrong.com/article/15...r-resveratrol/