Article: Wine ‘allows guilt-free gluttony’

A chemical found in red wine could make guilt-free gluttony a reality, an international study suggests.

When given to mice, it countered some effects of a high-calorie diet, improving their health and increasing their life-span, the team reported.

However, the chemical could not reverse all consequences of overeating - the mice did not lose any weight.

Writing in the journal Nature, the team said their findings could, in the future, help obese humans.

It could be the breakthrough of the year, with massive possibilities for treating human beings Steve Bloom, Imperial College

The molecule, called resveratrol, is found in red grapes or wine.

Previous research has revealed the substance has anti-ageing effects in some organisms, extending the lifespan of yeast by 60%, worms and flies by 30%, and fish by about 60%.

It has also been suggested the reported health benefit of red wine may also be down to the resveratrol.

Read the entire article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6105412.stm