ROME, Jan. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Italian researchers have confirmed that red wine is not only good for combating cardiovascular conditions and diseases like Alzheimer's, but also effective against flu.

    A report from Italy's Higher Health Institute, Rome University and the National Research Council found that a molecule found in red wine, is capable of blocking the flu virus from mutating process.

    The report is important because of the global alert over avian flu, which many experts fear could mutate and cause a pandemic. At present there is no known pharmaceutical product which can effectively block the flu virus.

    Scientists believe that the 1918 "Spanish Flu", which killed millions of people around the world, was caused by a mutated avian flu virus.

    The Italian study, which has been published by the Journal of Infectious Diseases, was based on tests on cell cultures and then on live animals.

    According to the researchers, they were able to reduce the flu mortality rate in mice by 60 percent.

    "This discovery is very important because it increases the possibility of combating the virus and has proved effective against all different types of flu," researchers said.

    A flood of scientific studies has already shown that drinking two glasses of red wine a day helps prevent diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's as well as cholesterol-related cardiovascular conditions.

    There has been extensive research in Italy on the medicinal benefits of wine and it has been discovered that white wine also contains a disease-fighting molecule.

    Drinking white wine appears to be good for the lungs, too.

    According to a June 2002 study released by the University of Buffalo, people who drink white wine regularly have healthier lungs than people who do not. Enditem