In a previous post I highlighted the fact that Resveratrol has, for a little while now, been lauded as some sort of ‘fountain of youth’.
As you may know one of the common sources of Resveratrol is red wine or rather the grapes from which red wine is made.
I highlighted the fact that I was dubious about Resveratrol benefits because so much of the testing seemed to have been carried out on animals and that there was so little hard evidence of anti-aging or longevity benefits for humans.
During my research I came across a news story on CBS citing some new research carried out in the University of London that seems to question the benefits of Resveratrol.
Apparently the research looked into the claim that Resveratrol was effective in extending lifespan because it activated some proteins in the body called sirtuins.
Now I’m no scientist and I don’t pretend to have any idea what these proteins really are but it matters not, what does matter is that all the claims about Resveratrol are based on the assumption that these sirtuins get activated and that they in turn slow doen the aging process.
It seems that the London based research, whilst acknowledging that Resveratrol does may activate these sirtuins (and that couldn’t be established beyond doubt) any activation that did occur would be at such low levels as to make any benefit undetectable.
One of the professors involved in the research went as far as to say that people who’ve believed the story that Resveratrol activates Sirtuins and that these surtuins help you live longer have been fooled.
As with so many of these issues there are scientists on both sides of the fenc but personally I have serious doubts about the existence of Resveratrol benefits.
