Resveratrol

The claim that resveratrol has the potential to extend the lifespan sounds unbelievable. However, research has shown that it may have such effects by activating a “longevity gene.” This gene is the sirtuin (SIR) gene, or SIRT1 in mammals including humans, Sir2 in yeast. The sirtuin gene is known to be activated in caloric restriction, which is a proven way of extending maximum lifespan. Caloric restriction is the practice of reducing consumption of calories in a diet by replacing high calorie foods with low calorie foods that still contain the necessary vitamins and minerals a body needs. It has been found that caloric restriction extends the lifespan and slows down age-related chronic diseases in rats, fish, flies, worms, and yeast. Caloric restriction decreases metabolic rate and oxidative stress, improves insulin sensitivity, and alters neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous system functioning in animals. It is unknown whether prolonged caloric restriction increases lifespan in humans.

In a current National Institute of Health study at the University of Wisconsin, a group of monkeys is under caloric restriction, consuming 30% fewer calories each day over the past 20 years than the other monkeys in the experiment. The purpose of the study is to find out whether caloric restriction makes this group of monkeys healthier and extends their lives. Reporters from 60 Minutes visited the facility and observed major differences in the overall health of the monkeys. Those on caloric restriction are thinner, look younger, have shinier coats, and fewer have arthritis. In contrast, many of those on a normal monkey diet have diabetes and more have heart disease and cancer. The researchers believe that eating a lot of food turns the sirtuin gene off, and that caloric restriction turns it on.

Resveratrol , similar to caloric restriction, activates the sirtuin gene. Studies have found that administering resveratrol to yeast stimulated Sir2, increasing DNA stability and extending lifespan by 70%. In studies with worms and fruit flies, feeding them with resveratrol also extended their lifespans. One study in Italy reported that resveratrol increases longevity and retards expression of age-dependent traits when fed to the fish Nothobranchius furzeri, a short-lived vertebrate. Additionally, researchers from Harvard Medical School in 2006 found that resveratrol improves the health of mice on a high-calorie diet. It shifts the physiology of middle-aged mice on a high-calorie diet towards that of mice on a standard diet and significantly increases their survival. Resveratrol produced changes associated with longer lifespan, including increased insulin sensitivity and improved motor function.