Though there is still debate surrounding the so-called French Paradox, a new study draws a concrete connection between a component of red wine and anti-aging effects.

A recent study from The Journals of Gerontologyrevealed that resveratrol, a compound found in the skin of red grapes and in red wine, shares many of the same benefits as a drug prescribed to fight Type 2 diabetes called metformin.

Specifically, both resveratrol and metformin have many of the same neuroprotective benefits that come from a low-calorie diet and exercise. Additionally, study researchers found that the wine component, resveratrol, also preserves muscle fibers during aging.

We all slow down as we get older, Gregorio Valdez, an assistant professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute who worked on the study, toldKnowridge Science Report.

We work on identifying molecular changes that slow down motor deficits that occur with aging. I believe that we are getting closer to tapping into mechanisms to slow age-induced degeneration of neuronal circuits.

To test the effect of resveratrol, researchers treated older mice with the compound for one year and studied their movements. Just as the optimum diet and exercise can improve muscle preservation and aging effects, Valdez found that resveratrol has similar benefits in the test mice.

Though resveratrol was effective for the study, Valdez says theres no way anybody could drink enough red wine to yield similar results. In fact, right now that much resveratrol in your system might not even be safe.

These studies are in mice and I would caution anyone from blasting their bodies with resveratrol in any form, Valdez said.

In wine, resveratrol is in such small amounts you could not drink enough of it in your life to have the benefits we found in mice given resveratrol.

Well, thats disappointing. Nonetheless, there are still other studies that link red wine to better cholesteroland tofighting obesity, so there are still plenty of reasons to pop that cork.

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Study: A red wine component has similar anti-aging benefits to diet and exercise - PhillyVoice.com