Lower cholesterol, anti-cancer agents, anti-aging properties and the potential for a longer, healthier life may be in that glass of red wine. Or possibly in a pill one day. But that day may be further away than you think.

Since 2003, when researchers found that the compound resveratrol - a substance produced naturally by plants and in abundance in the skin of grapes and berries - could extend life spans, resveratrol has been touted as a possible future miracle drug for just about everything.

Scientists have found that resveratrol - when tested on mice, roundworms and yeast - has effects on free radicals, cell regeneration and insulin-lowering properties. This gives resveratrol incredible promise toward being an effective agent against some of the top

age-related diseases, says Dr. Joseph C. Maroon, a neurosurgeon at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and author of "The Longevity Factor: How Resveratrol and Red Wine Activate Genes for a Longer and Healthier Life."

"Resveratrol is, number one, a potent anti-inflammatory, which may have powerful effects on cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and stroke," Dr. Maroon says. "It is also an antioxidant and can help slow down the process of aging, maintain DNA repair and have an effect on carbohydrate metabolism, which can help insulin sensitivity in diabetes."

The full article by Karen Goldberg Goff from the Washington Times

can be found here.