Researchers say key to better health may lie in the bottom of a glass

By Melissa Borgerding
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Researchers have long held that a healthy diet can contribute to a longer and higher quality life.

However, an unusual new study suggests that if you really want to keep the doctor away, you may want to put the apple down and reach instead for a glass of wine.

Mice prefer red
Red wine may be the key to better health and greater longevity, according to a study by the Harvard Medical School and the National Institute of Aging. The subjects of the study: obese mice.

Heavy doses of the red wine extract resveratrol lowered the rate of diabetes and liver problems in the mice, and actually caused death from weight-related illness to drop an astounding 31%. In addition, mice administered the red wine supplement lived longer than their typical life expectancy.

Wine in a pill?
The study’s ramifications are far-reaching.

Resveratrol is now being used experimentally to treat diabetes in humans. Some researchers even believe that a resveratrol pill could someday be the answer to controlling calories without denying yourself dessert.

However, before you medicate on Merlot, the study’s authors warn that red wine is not a cure-all, although it has been linked to benefits like heart health and may even protect the brain from stroke damage.

The healthy results of the mouse study may also be difficult for most humans to duplicate over dinner, since the high doses of reservatrol administered to the lab mice are equivalent to drinking 100 bottles of wine a day. Plus, most scientific studies ignore the biggest benefit to drinking wine: enjoyment.