The Science Behind Wine and Cheese

Wine and cheese.

It's one of the oldest food pairings in human history.

And it turns out there’s a biological reason why.

Researchers in South Korea discovered that certain probiotic bacteria found in cheese dramatically improve how your body processes alcohol…

And protect your liver from the damage that comes with it.

Here’s the biochemistry behind this ancient food pairing:

The Experiment

Researchers extracted two strains of bacteria from cheese and kimchi.

Using these strains, they made cheese.

In the experiment there were three groups of rats:

• One group got probiotic cheese before alcohol

• Another got regular cheese

• A third got nothing

All three groups then received a 25% ethanol solution…

And the results were striking.

The rats who got no cheese became depressed and jealous of the other rats who got to eat cheese.

Just kidding.

The probiotic cheese group had half the blood alcohol and acetaldehyde levels compared to other groups.

Their beneficial enzyme levels—alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase—were significantly higher.

But here's where it gets interesting.

When researchers examined the livers, the probiotic cheese group showed virtually no damage.

Their livers looked almost identical to the control group that never drank alcohol at all.

Meanwhile, the livers of rats that drank without any cheese were riddled with inflammatory cell infiltration.

Which Cheeses Have These Probiotics?

Lactococcus lactis is used to make Brie, Camembert, cheddar, Gruyère, Parmesan, and Roquefort.

Lactobacillus plantarum is found in Stilton, feta, and certain goat cheeses.

There's one caveat.

Not all probiotic bacteria survive the aging process.

Young, fresh cheeses—like a soft Brie or fresh goat cheese—are more likely to retain their live cultures than heavily aged varieties.

This study reinforces something I talk about constantly.

Your gut microbiome isn't just about digestion—it's your first line of defense against environmental stressors.

The same bacteria that help you process alcohol also support liver detoxification pathways, reduce inflammation, and regulate immune function.

When your microbiome is strong, your body handles toxins more efficiently.

When it's weak, even moderate exposures can overwhelm your system.

The cheese-and-wine tradition didn't emerge by accident.

Cultures around the world paired fermented foods with alcohol for thousands of years—long before anyone understood why it worked.

Now we have the science to explain it.

Until next time,

Kashif Khan

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