A natural substance found in red wine can extend life and counter the negative effects of an unhealthy high-fat diet, researchers at the Harvard Medical School and the US National Institute of Aging said.

　　Researchers have discovered that a compound in red wine called resveratrol caused lab mice to live longer. Not only that, the mice also experienced a reversal in genes associated with heart disease, diabetes and other weight-related maladies.

　　They carried the study out on mice fed on a diet so high in saturated fats that it was equivalent to eating a cream cake with every meal. Mice on the fatty diet became obese, suffered health disorders such as liver and heart disease and died significantly earlier than mice on normal diets.

　　But when a second group of mice on the high-fat diet were given resveratrol, a plant extract found in grapes, their health and longevity were almost indistinguishable from normal mice, although they still became obese.

　　Resveratrol has already been identified as the chemical behind the so-called French Paradox, the phenomenon in which French people have low rates of heart disease even though their diet is traditionally high in meat, cheese and bread.

　　The resveratrol, had already shown the same benefits on worms, fruit flies and yeast.

　　"What we really would like to be the final answer, and can't quite say yet, is that resveratrol will mimic the effects of calorie restriction," said Joseph Baur of the team of Harvard.

　　But the study on mice is the first to show that resveratrol has survival benefits in a mammal, Harvard Medical School said in a statement.(Agencies)

　　据哈佛医学院和美国老年研究会的研究人员介绍，红葡萄酒中所含的一种天然物质可以抵消有害健康的高脂肪饮食的负面影响，能起到延年益寿的作用。

　　研究人员在红葡萄酒中发现了一种名叫多元酚的物质，这种物质不仅使试验小白鼠的寿命得以延长，而且还减少了它们患心脏病、糖尿病和由肥胖引发的其它疾病的几率。

　　研究人员给其中一组小白鼠喂食饱和脂肪，相当于每顿吃一个奶油蛋糕，结果发现，这些小白鼠变成了“肥胖鼠”，而且还患上了肝病、心脏病等疾病，它们的寿命比饮食正常的白鼠要短得多。

　　而另一组小白鼠在被喂以高脂肪食物的同时，还摄入了从红葡萄中提取的多元酚。结果发现，这组小白鼠虽然也变得肥胖，但它们的健康状况和寿命与正常白鼠几乎差不多。

　　此外，研究发现，多元酚是造成所谓的“法国异常”现象的主要原因。虽然法国人爱食肉类、奶酪和面包等脂肪含量较高的食物，但他们患心脏病的几率较低。

　　红葡萄酒中所含的多元酚对于昆虫、果蝇和酵母具有同样功效。

　　哈佛医学院研究小组成员约瑟夫·鲍尔说：“我们希望得出的结论是，多元酚能够起到与热量限制相同的作用，但目前还无法确定。”

　　哈佛医学院在发表的一份声明中提到，此项“白鼠实验”首次表明，多元酚能使哺乳动物的寿命延长。