The anti aging and weight loss properties of resveratrol are a hot topic in the world of health and beauty. There are drug companies trying to produce products that they claim can reverse the signs of aging, combat cancer, and help us loose weight.
Reservatrol, an ingredient of red wine, activates a protein in the body called sirtuin. The protein, produced by the Sirt gene from which it gets its name, is normally activated when energy levels in the body are low. Reservatrol can mimic calorie restriction leading to all the benefits that accrue from it.
Glaxo acquired Sirtris Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge Mass. is conducting clinical trials of resveratrol in a special formulation to see if it will slow aging.
The trials also include small-molecule drugs, which like resveratrol activate sirtuin, but can be given in much lower doses.
If proven successful in trials, the new ‘miracle’ drugs will increase longevity by mimicking caloric reduction whilst you continue to consume a normal diet. A 30% caloric reduction over normal diet can increase life expectancy by 30-40% in mice, though it rendered them less fertile. Similar results are observed in yeast and flies, though trials on primates have yielded ambiguous results.
If these products are approved by the FDA for market, they will become very popular. Reducing wrinkles and cancer fighting properties will continue to propel the popularity of resveratrol.