Study Finds Resveratrol Limits Adverse Effects of
High Fat Diet in Mice
A study published in the journal Nature shows high amounts of
resveratrol produce changes associated with a longer lifespan, including
increased insulin sensitivity, increased mitochondrial number, and improved
motor function.
For the study, researchers fed mice a high-fat, high-calorie diet and then
gave them high doses of resveratrol. The mice did gain weight, yet lived as long
as those that ate a healthy diet and maintained a normal weight.
The study was performed by Rafael de Cabo, Ph.D., at the NIA, David A.
Sinclair, Ph.D., at Harvard Medical School along with an international group of researchers. De Cabo
says that the idea
resveratrol may have anti aging effects was discovered when Sinclair and
colleagues were doing research on the well-known observation that calorie
restriction can prolong life. 
Calorie Restriction, Resveratrol, and a Longer Life
It has long been known that reducing caloric intake by about 40% of normal
can delay age-related diseases and extend life span in mammals. A gene which regulates such processes as glucose and insulin production, fat
metabolism, and cell survival, has been implicated in this process, and Sinclair’s team
found resveratrol showed such activity.
In this new study, analysis of the livers of the older and
overweight mice indicated that resveratrol modified some of the known metabolic
pathways that are also affected by caloric restriction.
“After six months, resveratrol essentially prevented most
of the negative effects of the high calorie diet,” de Cabo concluded.
What is Resveratrol?
Resveratrol is found in the skin of grapes and in other plants, including
peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. Resveratrol is also found in red wine,
which may explain why people in
France suffer low incidences of heart disease though they consume a high fat diet. It
has been suggested that drinking red wine may negate the effects of this high
fat diet, and the
resveratrol in red wine may be the reason.
Eat Whatever You Want and Just Take a Pill to Stay Healthy?
"It's not an excuse to overeat," Sinclair says. In fact, research
has found that eating significantly less food lowers blood pressure, increases
so-called "good" cholesterol, and lessens chances of dying from
cancer, heart disease, and stroke.
Eating a variety
of nutritious foods, including those with resveratrol, plus engaging in regular
exercise are still the best ways we know of living a longer, healthier life.
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