Resveratrol Good for Heart, Lifespan

MADISON, Wis.—LifeGen Technologies LLC (LifeGenTech.com), in collaboration with DSM Nutritional Products (DSM.com), released the results of a new study published online indicating low doses of resveratrol may have health benefits for the heart and other organs. In previous research, high doses of resveratrol, a natural constituent of red wine, have been found to extend lifespan in invertebrates. The new study extends these findings, revealing low doses of resveratrol mimics the effects of caloric restriction (diets with 20 to 30 percent fewer calories).

Middle- to old-aged mice were fed either a control diet, a low dose of resveratrol (4.9 mg/kg/d) or a calorie-restricted diet. A striking transcriptional overlap of the calorie-restricted diet and resveratrol in heart, skeletal muscle and brain was reported; resveratrol also mimicked the effects of a calorie-restricted diet in insulin mediated glucose uptake in muscle. Both interventions inhibited gene expression profiles associated with cardiac and skeletal muscle aging and prevented age-related cardiac dysfunction. The study suggested resveratrol and a calorie-restricted diet may retard some aspects of aging through alteration in chromatin structure and transcriptions.

“This is the first time that any ingredient has been shown to mimic caloric restriction to this extent,” said Ying Wang, Ph.D., contributing author, research scientist, DSM Nutritional Products. “Our findings also revealed that resveratrol helped to prevent the decline in heart function, which is a natural result of aging.”