Eat, Drink and Be Merry

I'm sure this will hit all the news broadcasts tonight:

Huge amounts of a red wine extract seemed to help obese mice eat a high-fat diet and still live a long and healthy life, suggests a new study that some experts are calling "landmark" research.
[snip]
The study by the Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Aging shows that heavy doses of red wine extract lowers the rate of diabetes, liver problems and other fat-related ill effects in obese mice.

According to the abstract of the study there is evidence from studies in mice, flies and nematodes that resveratrol (found in red wine) "produces changes associated with longer lifespan", with effects similar to caloric restriction. Of course there is no evidence (as yet) that this would work in people, but I am willing to up my red wine intake*, just in case.

• Nature podcast about the study.
  
• AP Article: "Study: Fat, boozing mice stay healthy"
• Abstract of the paper in Nature
• Red Wine and Cancer Prevention
  
• "Red Wine May Prevent Alzheimers

* Yes, I know the test used resveratrol extract, but I like to take it in a more "natural" form. High levels of resveratrol are also found in Itadori tea, and at lower levels in grapes, peanuts and soy sauce.

Tags: wine, health, aging