Anti Aging Discoveries

A substance found in the skins of grapes and in certain other plants, fruits, and seeds. It is made by various plants to help defend against invading fungi, stress, injury, infection, and too much sunlight. It is being studied in the prevention of cancer and heart disease. It is a type of antioxidant and a type of polyphenol.

National Cancer Institute | http://www.cancer.gov

Dr. David Sinclair discusses the benefits of Resveratrol
with ABC Barbara Walters

——————-

Research Summary: For decades caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to increase both mean and maximum lifespan across a variety of species. However, few studies have focused on the effects of CR over extended periods in humans. One reason for this is because humans, and especially Americans, love to eat–and eat in excess. Even though CR has been shown to extend lifespan and diminish the progression of cancer, we, as a species, do not usually practice it freely. One way to circumvent this problem is to find compounds that can mimic the effects of CR without limiting food intake. These compounds are referred to as CR mimetics or CRM. CRM would cause the same beneficial changes as CR but would not require the “hard work” of maintaining a low calorie diet. One such CRM that is under investigation in our laboratory along with Dr. David Sinclair is resveratrol. It is a naturally occurring molecule found in grapes and peanuts, among other foods. Resveratrol has previously been shown to have chemopreventative and cardioprotective effects. These two mechanisms alone would seem to extend lifespan, but, in addition, resveratrol has also been shown to activate the Sir2 pathway. Activating this pathway in low level organisms including yeast and flies increased lifespan. For these reasons, we are testing the effects of resveratrol on physiological and behavioral changes as well as overall longevity in mice.

Kevin Joseph Pearson, Ph.D., Postdoctoral IRTA Fellow
Aging, Metabolism, and Nutrition Unit
Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology and
Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science

National Cancer Institute | http://www.cancer.gov

Posted under Uncategorized