Resveratol: defying time: want to live well for a long time? New research is uncorking the longevity secrets of resveratrol--an antioxidant found in grape skins, wine and other foods.(SUPPLEMENTS: CHECK OUT)

The mystery of red wine is being unraveled. A recent study of resveratrol, the ingredient believed to be responsible for red wine's legendary health benefits, shows that this unique molecule extends life and health in mice and may do the same in humans.

Says David Sinclair, PhD, a senior author of the study and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, the study results "offer hope that similar impacts might be seen in humans without negative side effects."

A Long Life Despite Obesity

This trial, reported in Nature, is the first to test resveratrol in mammals. Earlier studies found that resveratrol extended life in yeast, worms, flies and fish.

In the Harvard study, carried out in conjunction with the National Institute on Aging, researchers found that the risk of death among obese mice who received resveratrol was 31 percent lower than mice on a high-calorie diet not given the supplement.

Mice fed resveratrol (at daily doses equal to hundreds of bottles of wine) had increased insulin sensitivity, lower levels of blood glucose, and healthier hearts and liver tissues. Although the jury is still out on how humans may benefit, Sinclair believes that the findings "may mean we can stave off in humans age-related disease such as type ...