Wine clue to an anti-ageing pill

WASHINGTON - The compound that makes red wine a healthy drink may also hold the secret to a longer life, a study has found.

United States scientists say resveratrol acts on fruit flies and worms in the same way as a method known to extend the life of animals including monkeys - sharply restricting how much they eat.

The finding opens the possibility that a pill to achieve the same benefits as strict dieting to live longer, healthier lives, says David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, who led the study.

"We found this chemical that can extend the life span of every organism we give it to," Dr Sinclair said.

"We hope we can soon see molecules that treat diseases of ageing, like diabetes, for example ... We really can have our cake and eat it, too."

In the journal Nature, Dr Sinclair and colleagues at the University of Connecticut and Brown University in Rhode Island said they were looking for some compound that had the same effect as restricting calories.

Scientists have learned that molecules called Sir2-like proteins or sirtuins, found in creatures from bacteria to humans, are involved in the anti-ageing effects of restricting calories. One clearly worked better than the others.

"When I realised it was a molecule from red wine I almost fell out of my seat," said Dr Sinclair.

"This is the molecule people suspect is behind the health benefits of red wine. It's uncanny."

Last year, he reported that resveratrol extended the life of yeast. Now he has tested it in fruit flies and tiny worms, both of which share many basic biologic processes with humans.

"If you give these compounds to these animals they are healthier and longer-lived, and just as active."

Vintage years

The latest health benefit claimed for red wine is its ability to delay ageing.

It is also thought to reduce the risk of heart disease.

The grape skin and seeds also may hold a natural cancer-fighting chemical.

Doctors say this does not mean people should drink a lot of red wine, as alcohol is a risk factor for breast cancer.

- REUTERS