London - Red wine could be the key to creating anti-ageing drugs within the next five years, according to new research.
The study shows that a chemical found in the drink can be used to target an enzyme in the body which combats age.
It is hoped the findings could eventually help prevent diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes.
Lead researcher Professor David Sinclair, of Harvard University, said the drugs could lead to people living until they are 150.
“Ultimately, these drugs would treat one disease, but unlike drugs of today, they would prevent 20 others. In effect, they would slow ageing,” he said.
The target enzyme is already naturally activated when we exercise or restrict the amount of calories we consume. But the study – published in the journal Science – found that its effects are enhanced by resveratrol, which is found in small quantities in red wine.
Man-made activators with a much stronger impact are already being developed.
Professor Sinclair suggested they could be taken in the same way as statin drugs, which are often prescribed to prevent heart disease.
He added that ageing was no longer “the irreversible affliction we thought it was”. - Daily Mail