By Gary Geyer

In a new report, researchers say red wine may be much more potent than was thought in extending human lifespan.

*According to an article in today’s NY Times, a low dose of dietary resveratrol (the ingredient found in red wine) partially mimics caloric restriction and retards aging parameters in mice.

A company called Sirtris plans on developing drugs that activate “sirtuins” a protein agent found in humans. The focus is on improved tissue maintenance which has the result of cutting down degenerative diseases of aging and thereby extending life.

Although not yet proven in humans, lab rodents in an extreme caloric restricted diet have had extended life spans by up to 30%.

The tissue preservation that occurs with the ‘famine-induced” diet might be triggered by activating the body’s sirtuins. It has been found that sirtuins could be activated by some natural compounds, including resveratrol, an ingredient in certain red wines.

One dramatic result found by Dr. John Auwerx of the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Illkirch, France, showed that high doses of resveratrol turned everyday lackadaisical mice into super athletes, able to run twice as far on treadmills before collapsing.

In another test, Sirtris reported that its formulation of resveratrol, (SRT501) reduced glucose levels in diabetic patients.

Sirtris plans to start clinical trials of its resveratrol formulation soon. The hope is that, if their theory is correct, its sirtuin-activating drugs could be used to treat a spectrum of degenerative diseases, like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Stay tuned. <<

Disclaimer: [Skip to next paragraphSome scientists are already taking resveratrol in capsule form, but it is thought to be too early to take the drug, especially using wine as its source, until there is better data on its safety and effectiveness.]

Resveratrol can be obtained in the form of capsules. One company, Longevinex, includes extracts of red wine and of a Chinese plant called giant knotweed. Researchers have concluded that resveratrol can mimic many of the effects of a calorie-restricted diet “at doses that can readily be achieved in humans.”

Before starting any regimen consult your doctor

*The NY Times article was based on the findings of JL Barger, T Kayo , JM Vann, EB Arias and J Wang.

Editor: Daniel Tome, AgroParisTech, France. Copyright: Barger JL 2008

The full report can be found at: http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002264

Other Red wine news and info: from Israel’s new blog magazine www.oneJerusalem.com

A recent study conducted at Harvard University in the U.S.A. again confirms the benefits of drinking moderate amounts of red wine. The study, using laboratory rats, confirmed earlier studies at other universities, including Yale, also in the USA, that red wine contains ingredients that reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood stream, reduces risks of some forms of cancer, and even helps prevent the outset of Alzheimer’s disease.

The secret of red wine are ingredients known as polyphenol antioxidants and flavonoids which are said to come from the skin of red wine grapes. For years, the health attributes of drinking red wine have been known by millions of people; and the grandmotherly advice of drinking a glass of red wine before retiring at night is followed by many people. The cardiovascular benefits of red wine consumption has resulted in people living in countries where large quantities of red wine is consumed having less heart attacks and other related problems. Flavanoids also help prevent premature aging due to the antioxidants they contain. Polyphenol antioxidants have been talked about by nutrition experts as one of the main protections a person’s body has against aging.

While wine drinking may be healthful, it must be remembered that over-consumption of wine (and other alcoholic beverages) can have adverse effects on one’s health; including liver damage and diabetes (due to abnormal increase of blood sugar levels).

Inexpensive commercial table wines also contain preserving and fermentation ingredients known as sulfides which can be very bad for people who are allergic to them. In the U.S.A., wines containing sulfides must state so on the bottle’s outside label. Few lower priced Israel wines have this warning, however; so if one is uncertain regarding this problem, it is a good idea to consult the manufacturer’s customer service department, or purchase more expensive wines which are naturally fermented and do not contain sulfides.

Many other food items also contain polyphenol antioxidants, but red wine grapes appear to have the highest level. Laboratory studies showed that moderate amounts of red wine consumed daily by the test subjects resulted in a marked decrease in cholesterol levels. Other types of wines do not contain the same levels of flavanoids and polyphenol antioxidants. These include white wines, fruit wines (from plums, apples, berries, etc), and rice and other wines made from grain.

The obvious secret to maintaining good physical health is to combine moderate red wine consumption with watching one’s diet and by regular exercise. <<

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