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You may have heard that it is healthy to drink a glass of red wine (or two) with dinner, but you may not know the science behind it. Red wine contains a compound called resveratrol, which works to prevent damage to blood vessels and to reduce 'bad' cholesterol, helping us live longer lives. In recent years it has been deemed the natural anti-aging secret of the gods, but what you may not know is that resveratrol may not really be working at all.
The first research to come out regarding the anti-aging and longevity effects of resveratrol was published by Howitz and Sinclair in 2003. In their article, they claimed that their studies on worms and flies showed that consuming a certain amount of resveratrol could indeed prolong their normal lifespan (which of course is not very long at all). Later, in 2006 it was exhibited that the miracle compound could extend the average life of a fish by 56%.
Photo: Boaz Yiftach/ freedigitalphotos.net With so many public figures and science journals promoting the consumption of red wine and resveratrol, we have to wonder why in light of the latter findings. While resveratrol may not increase your lifespan, it still has a number of notable health benefits that make it worthwhile to drink your glass of wine.
While it appears that drinking wine will not make your life shorter and nor is it good for the heart, resveratrol, its active and infamous compound, does have a couple of other benefits that can still make drinking a glass of wine worthwhile. We have busted the myth; red wine does not help you live longer, but it still tastes and makes you feel good! |
