A component of red wine that may help to extend one’s life span
and slow the development of age-related diseases, including
diabetes and heart disease. Some researchers believe that the
resveratrol in red wine may help to explain the so-called
“French paradox” — that people in France consume a high-fat diet
yet have a lower rate of heart disease than Americans. Studies
in mice have shown potential health benefits from resveratrol.
In a study published in the journal Nature, one group of mice
was fed a diet in which 60% of calories came from fat. Another
group of mice was fed the same high-fat diet but in combination
with high doses of resveratrol. The resveratrol-fed mice gained
just as much weight as the first group of mice. However, their
insulin sensitivity increased, and they lived significantly
longer than the other group — about as long as mice fed a normal
diet. The mice getting resveratrol also had better motor
function, as demonstrated by the duration of their ability to
walk on a rotating rod before