We've read before that red wine has lots of good things for us. Now, researchers say red wine may be much more potent than was thought in extending human lifespan. The most recent news about red wine grew out of the search for longevity drugs. The study is based on dosing mice with resveratrol, an ingredient of some red wines. Studies tested the equivalent of 100 bottles of red wine a day on mice. It extended the lives of the rodents; no word if they had more fun, too.
Would you drink more wine - or take resveratrol in pill form - with hopes it would extend your life? (An aside: my brother and I discuss the desire many people have to live long lives. Who, we wonder, is going to support us? Will we have to work into our 80s or 90s or even longer?)
A journey into the world of "real food" with Seattle-based journalist Rebecca Morris
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5 comments:
If red wine was shown to improve quality of life (physical, psychological) then yes: I would drink or take it in pill form. I look at improving my diet in it's entirety as a way to improve my quality of daily life, regardless of how old I will grow. In the 3 years that I've been working on my health, I can now say that I rarely get sick and when I do, I improve in days, not the previous weeks/months when I was in poorer health. I have more stamina, feel better on a daily basis, and have found that I love to cook.
This reminds me of a similar interest among many to have a lower-than-normal body weight in order to extend their lives. The diet required is so restrictive, it's fair to say, for how you'd have to do it to get the benefits (about 1-2 more years of life), I'm not sure it's worth it.
You could drink all that red wine, but without balance, what kind of life extention would you really be enjoying? Would you simply be alive, but not all that "healthy"?
Personally, I'd rather incorporate the reality of death, and live my life to the fullest, which includes some red wine, but a whole hell of a lot more healthy living. When you are not afraid to die, you're probably not afraid to really LIVE too, including taking better care of yourself.
I don't know that the benefit of extending my life is worth a daily hangover. ;) I don't think I want to be around too long anyway. When the ol' bod really starts to deteriorate, all my friends are kicking the bucket and I never see my family because they're working their buns off to make ends meet - that's when it'll be time to make a graceful exit.
Why not? If a glass of wine at lunch or dinner is good for me, I'll "make the sacrifice"!
I avoid anything in pill form though. It seems to me that it's better to take nutrients in as minimally-processed a form as possible, if only to reduce the risk of foul-ups in the manufacturing process. Also, I'd suspect that pillmakers have an interest in pushing product. Wine, OTOH, has been around for a very long time, and we have a good understanding of its hazards.
I'm thrilled to find your blog :)
Would you mind sharing with me where I can access that study. I am encouraged by what you have shared!
Looking forward to reading more of your work:)
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