Resveratrol mimics diet caloric restriction

New data published in the June 3 edition of the Public Library of Science One suggests that low doses of resveratrol in the diet of middle-aged mice has a widespread influence on the genetic levers of aging and may confer special protection on the heart. Specifically, the researchers found that low doses of the antioxidant found in red wine mimic the effects of what is known as caloric restriction - diets with 20%-30% fewer calories than a typical diet - that in numerous studies has been shown to extend lifespan and blunt the effects of aging.

"This brings down the dose of resveratrol toward the consumption reality mode," said senior study author Richard Weindruch, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of medicine. "At the same time, it plugs into the biology of caloric restriction," he added. Previous research has shown that resveratrol in high doses extends lifespan in invertebrates and prevents early mortality in mice given a high-fat diet. The new study extends those findings, showing that resveratrol in low doses and beginning in middle age can elicit many of the same benefits as a reduced-calorie diet, the authors noted.