Now for the reality check. No one has shown that equivalent doses of resveratrol are either safe or effective in people. Nor can you possibly get enough of the stuff from red wine. “You would have to drink over 1,000 glasses a day,” says Sinclair. Resveratrol supplements are not the answer, either, as they’re not well absorbed into the bloodstream.
But, paté lovers, don’t despair. Sirtris Pharmaceuticals–cofounded by Sinclair–has developed an improved, synthetic version of resveratrol that is now in early trials for diabetes. Even more intriguing, the company has synthesized novel compounds that appear to work the same way as resveratrol–but with 1,000 times greater potency. It could take five years for any of them to reach the market. But one day, Sinclair says, they may help people extend the years of health they enjoy before the effects of aging set in. If he’s right, that’s not just pie in the sky.
