You may not have heard of resveratrol, but researchers that have are heralding it as the new “fountain of youth.” Found in grapes, resveratrol is a natural antioxidant that has been linked to reduced risk of cancer, atherosclerosis, heart disease, and brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Research seems to indicate that resveratrol influences the genes that control aging. This discovery may lead to the development of drugs that can extend life or treat age-related diseases. Resveratrol, according to Harvard medical school researchers, has a similar effect as restricting calorie intake. Essentially, it activates enzymes that slow aging, thus increasing DNA stability and extending lifespan by as much as 70%.
Aging brings with it many other concerns; one in particular is loss of eyesight. But fruit—especially grapes—may be your answer to age-related macular degeneration, the primary cause of vision loss among the elderly. Boosting your fruit intake to three servings per day can lower your risk of macular degeneration by as much as 36%. While vegetables have many of the components you’ll need to fight macular degeneration—your mother was right, carrots will help your eyesight—fruit, as reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, fruit intake was shown to be “definitely” effective against the more severe forms of macular degeneration.