Drinking red wine may increase lifespan

Drinking red wine may increase the lifespan of a person due to the presence of an antioxidant capable of diminishing the damaging effects of free radicals in the body, a new study suggests.

Research found that honey bees given resveratrol - a compound found in red wine - decreased food intake and were able to live longer.

Previous scientific studies on resveratrol show that it lengthens the lifespan of diverse organisms ranging from unicellular yeast to fruit flies and mice.
In a series of experiments, a team of scientists from Arizona State University, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and Harvard Medical School, tested the effects of resveratrol on the lifespan, learning ability, and food perception in honey bees.

Their research has confirmed that not only does this compound extend the lifespan of honey bees by 33 to 38 per cent, it also changes the decisions that bees make about food by triggering a “moderation effect” when they eat.

“For the first time, we conducted several tests on the effects of resveratrol by using the honey bee as a model. We were able to confirm that under normal living conditions, resveratrol lengthened lifespan in honey bees,” said researcher Brenda Rascon in a statement.

Since resveratrol is an antioxidant, researchers also questioned whether it would be capable of diminishing the damaging effects of “free radicals” - often released during stressful conditions.

Free radicals are believed to cause damage to cells, and have an effect on how we age. Resveratrol did not, however, prove to extend lives of bees living under stressful conditions.