Research on the International Space Station has shown that long-term exposure to microgravity has ill effects on the human body, including muscle atrophy, bone density loss and vision problems. Humans also start losing their immune system if they spend too much time in microgravity, according to a study by Princeton University and the Buck Institute, as mentioned in the UK Telegraph.

Fortunately, two things humans have enjoyed consuming on Earth for centuries will go a long way toward limiting the ill effects space travel has on the human immune system: red wine and dark chocolate.

It turns out that red wine and dark chocolate contain substances called flavanols that help to strengthen the human immune system. Nutritionists have long touted both as a part of a balanced and healthy diet. Now, scientists have started to investigate the flavanols from red wine and dark chocolate as a way to keep astronauts healthy on long-duration space missions.

NASA might provide the flavanols in supplement form. Pills are cheaper to launch into space than bottles of wine and chocolate bars. But people living long-term on space stations, lunar bases or Mars........

© The Hill