A recent study suggests that activating the Sirt1 gene via Resveratrol is most likely to induce the dietary restrictive effects of the SiRT1 gene. The article titled, "Red Wine Ingredient Wards Off Effects of Age on Heart, Bones, Eyes and Muscle," was written to document a recent study completed on mice.
I found certain parts of the article well worth pointing out and have done so below:
Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Aging mentioned the following,
“ From a health point of view, the quality of life of these mice at the end of their days is much better,” said Rafael de Cabo of the National Institute on Aging. It suggests that resveratrol may “extend productive, independent life, rather than just extending life span.”
Further, Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School and Sirtis Pharmaceuticals had the following to say,
“ I was most surprised by how broad the effects were in the mice”... “Usually, you focus on slowing down or ameliorating one disease at a time. In this case, resveratrol influences a whole series of seemingly unrelated diseases associated with aging.”
Their research suggest that the ability to live a healthier life longer into old age is more likely when beginning to take resveratrol in your 30's and 40's when roughly translated into humans. The dietary restrictive effects of resveratrol and the activation of SiRT1 increased the health of mice by reducing "osteoporosis, cataracts, vascular dysfunction, and declines in motor coordination." This reduction was measured against control mice fed the same diet without being given resveratrol.
“ In conclusion, long-term resveratrol treatment of mice can mimic transcriptional changes induced by dietary restriction and allow them to live healthier, more vigorous lives,” they wrote. “In addition to improving insulin sensitivity and increasing survival in [high-calorie fed] mice, we show that resveratrol improves cardiovascular function, bone density, and motor coordination and delays cataracts, even in nonobese rodents. Together, these findings confirm the feasibility of finding an orally available dietary restriction mimetic.”
It is important to note these studies were completed in mice and may not translate with the same benefits in humans. Currently there are FDA trials being carried out by Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (recently purchased by Glaxo SmithKline) using their proprietary drug SRT501. They are also in the development stages of drugs related to resveratrol called "new chemical entities (NCEs)" but much more potent and powerful. The potential benefits gained by these studies could change the way we view aging and increase the quality of life in old age.
The article is a must read for anyone interested in learning more about SiRT1. A link to the article can be found here:
http://images.cell.com/images/edimages/news/press_releases/decabo.pdf
Red Wine Ingredient Wards Off Effects of Age on Heart, Bones, Eyes and Muscle
Cell Metabolism, Volume 8 Number 1, July 2008
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