Red Wine Compound May Extend Life - US Report
(Washington, Reuters Health, 7/15/04)

Molecules called sirtuins (Sir2-like proteins), found in living things from bacteria to humans, are known to be involved in the anti-aging effect of restricted calorie intake. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and associates at the University of Connecticut and Brown University in Rhode Island began searching for molecules that could activate sirtuins and, thereby, increase longevity. The researchers discovered that resveratrol, a component of red wine, affects fruit flies and tiny worms, whose fundamental biologic processes resemble those of humans, in the same way as severely limiting food intake. The scientists speculate that resveratrol could be the basis for a pill that would confer the benefits of a strict diet—including longevity and health—while bypassing the lethargy, infertility and other drawbacks associated with severe dieting. (Source: Nature Magazine)