A new Harvard study initiated by David
Sinclair of Harvard Medical School and Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute
of aging shows that resveratrol, a compound found in grapes and red wine
provides heart benefits, preventing cardiovascular diseases, reducing heart
inflammation, enabling stronger bones and preventing eye cataracts. The
substance has the effect of an activator for more than 1,000 genes affecting
the heart. The function of these genes changes as a person ages but the
resveratrol helps the genes to work the same way they do in a younger heart.
Tests in mice found that the cholesterol
was significantly reduced after 10 months of treatment, the aortas of mice
treated with resveratrol functioned significantly better compared to the one of
the untreated mice, the compound also moderated inflammation in the heart, resveratrol
treatment reduced cataract formation in 30-month-old mice. But most mice didn’t
end up living longer because they don’t usually die as a result of heart
disease and they don’t suffer from weakening bones.
“From a health point of view, the quality
of life of these mice at the end of their days is much better. It suggests that
resveratrol may extend productive, independent life, rather than just extending
life span,” Dr de Cabo said. “We found that while quality of life improved with
resveratrol, the compound did not significantly affect overall survival or
maximum lifespan.”
Although the findings indicate that grapes
don’t help you live longer, resveratrol treatment may reduce the risk for
age-associated disease and stress, extending “productive independent life” and
it might help the elderly stay hale and hearty. Resveratrol is also found in the
crust of peanuts and walnuts.
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