The researchers say the study is likely to increase interest in resveratrol as a potential treatment against aging. However, it was not found to increase longevity when started at middle age.
The study is a follow-up of research in 2006 that found that resveratrol improved the health and increased the life expectancy of overweight, older mice, reports AFP. It stresses that it has no immediate and direct application to people, whose health is influenced by a variety of factors beyond those which may be represented in the animal models.
High doses of the chemical appear to mimic the effects that a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in calories in the typical diet would have. Researchers say such a diet is effective at prolonging life in many species.
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