A compound has recently been found in dark chocolate and red wine which might be able to make you look younger. Researchers from the Universities of Exeter and Brighton made a shocking discovery in their research to make cells look and act younger. The researchers explained how they had taken the first step toward creating a long, young life. During the research, a compound called resveratrol analogs was used to soak the cells. The result was that the cells started to age backwards.
This compound is commonly found in delicious foods like red wine, red grapes, dark chocolate, and blueberries. Within a few hours of putting in the liquid, the cells started to divide and had longer telomeres which are parts of chromosomes. When a person ages, these telomeres actually start becoming shorter. This shortening is also the reason we are getting more and more vulnerable to diseases. This research has become an integral part of research related to aging.
According to the scientists, this research isn’t necessarily related to increasing the lifespan. Instead, it is also aimed to make a healthier life a more extended option. Research Associate at the University of Exeter, Dr. Eva Latorre said, “This is a first step in trying to make people live normal lifespans, but with health for their entire life. When I saw some of the cells in the culture dish rejuvenating I couldn’t believe it. These old cells were looking like young cells. It was like magic.”
She further added, “I repeated the experiments several times and in each case, the cells rejuvenated. I am very excited by the implications and potential of this research. Our data suggest that using chemicals to switch back on the major class of genes that are switched off as we age might provide a means to restore function to old cells.” The researchers said that they were surprised by the quickness and extent of the change happening in the cell.