Red Wine: Your Next Defense Against Nuclear Radiation?

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Photo credit should read JOSEPH EID/AFP/Getty Images

This might just be the best excuse for heavy drinking we’ve ever heard.

Scientists may start recommending red wine consumption to defend against radiation exposure, the Telegraph reports. The natural antioxidant found in red wine, resveratol, may protect cells from damage.

(More on TIME.com: See the which country in the world drinks the most)

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine team believes that administering resveratol could prevent deaths in the wake of a nuclear attack. If they are right, they may create the first drug on the market to protect against radiation exposure.

Not the reason you thought you’d be downing red before a nuclear disaster, huh?

(More on TIME.com: See how archaeologists unearthed the world’s oldest wine press.)