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An old adage claims that a glass of good red wine a day leads to a long and happy life. The second part of the statement may be up to you, but Science has shonw the truth behind the beneficial effects of certain red wine components on longevity. Resveratrol is an organic substance found in grapes and especially in red wine. Scientist have alreadyfound that Resveratrol can extend the lifespan of worms and fruit flies, but more recently they showed that the anti aging properties of Resveratrol work on vertebrate animals like fish, and very likely in humans as well.

The studies found that Resveratrol, when added to the diet of short-lived fish, had the effect of extending their lifespan. In addition, the onset of ageing-related memory loss was delayed significantly.

Resveratrol is is a type of antioxidant that belongs to the group of polyphenols. This substances, inlcuding the ones found in red wine, have anti-inflammatory as well as anticancer properties. Many researchers consider them very promising and are currently conducting studies for a variety of pharmaceutical uses.

Resveratrol buys time

Initially, studies have shown that resveratrol extends the lifespan of organisms with short life, such as yeast, fruit flies, and  some kinds of worms. The next step is to test the anti aging effects of resveratrol on animals that are more similar to us. In an new study, researchers examined the effects of resveratrol on a small fish species that lives up to three months in a tank. The results showed that supplementing the daily diet of the animal with resveratrol, their normal life span was prolongued, but also age-related memory and muscular problems appear much later than usual.

A low dose of resveratrol resulted in an average of 33% increase in life span for the fish, while the animals fed with a higher dose of resveratrol lived more than 50% longer.

The researchers that conducted the study say that resveratrol is one of the first substances known to consistently extend the life of organisms from very different animal types, and thus it constitutes a promising starting point for developing treatments to prevent age-related diseases in humans.

More information on Resveratrol can be found in the RevGenetics website.

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