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Red
Wine Molecule Shown to Extend Life BOSTON (Reuters) - Researchers have known for
years that cutting calories can prolong life in everything from yeast
cells to mammals. But an easier way to live longer may be as simple as
turning a corkscrew. Molecules found in red wine, peanuts and
other products of the plant world have for the first time been shown to
mimic the life-extending effects of calorie restriction, a finding that
could help researchers develop drugs that lengthen life and prevent or
treat aging-related diseases. Researchers said on Sunday that one of the
molecules, a compound known as resveratrol, was shown in a study to extend
the life span of yeast cells by up to 80 percent. Resveratrol exists
naturally in grapes and red wine. David Sinclair, an assistant professor of
pathology at Harvard Medical School and co-author of the study, said he
and his fellow researchers hope the molecules will prove to prolong life
not just in yeast but in multi-cellular organisms like worms, fruit flies
and, perhaps, humans. Sinclair, whose study appears in Sunday's
advanced online edition of the journal Nature, said tests on worms and
flies were already yielding "encouraging" results. "I can't say any more because I will
scoop my next two publications," he said, adding that similar trials
were already being planned on mice. "ENTHUSIASTIC" OVER RED WINE Sinclair said he has become more
"enthusiastic" about the purported health benefits of red wine
since his research began, and that experts who have reviewed his findings
have had a similar response. "Not many people know about it yet, but
those who do have almost invariably changed their drinking habits, that
is, they drink more red wine," he told Reuters. The molecules that were shown to extend life
in yeast belong to a family of compounds known as polyphenols. These
include resveratrol, which is already thought to make red wine healthy in
moderate amounts. Sinclair said the latest study may help
explain why moderate consumption of red wine has been linked to lower
incidence of heart disease and why resveratrol prevents cancer in mice. "We're connecting many dots with this
study," he said. Scientists have known for decades that
putting organisms on a calorie-restricted diet dramatically reduces the
incidence of age-related illnesses such as cancer, osteoporosis and heart
disease. In the 1990s, research showed that single
genes can control how fast organisms age. Because of that, scientists have
been racing to find ways of manipulating those genes. Sinclair and his team have been looking for
what he calls the Holy Grail of aging research: molecules that activate
the enzymes that in turn influence the genes that regulate aging. Now, they say, they have found those
molecules. Sinclair's team partnered with BIOMOL, a
Pennsylvania company, to screen thousands of molecules to see which ones
might activate the enzymes. Not only did they find a group of 18
molecules that fit the bill -- resveratrol being just one -- but all of
them came from plants and were produced in response to harsh environmental
conditions like drought. "We think we know why these plants make
these molecules. We think it's part of their own defense response, and we
also believe that animals and fungi that live on the plants can pick up on
these clues," he said. To illustrate that theory, Sinclair noted
that red wines from regions with harsher growing conditions -- Spain,
Chile, Argentina and Australia -- contain more resveratrol than those
produced where grapes are not highly stressed or dehydrated.
Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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