Compounds in red wine have been found to extend life by up to 70% - at least for yeast cells. The study, published today in Nature Online, could lead to new ways to treat age-related diseases.

David Sinclair of Harvard medical school reports that he and colleagues looked at polyphenols, a group which includes resveratrol found in red wine and flavones in olive oil, on human and yeast cells in laboratory dishes. Polypenols are antioxidants, with important health benefits in protecting against neurodegeneration, cancer and furred arteries.

The researchers also did something else: they activated enzymes called sirtuins in the yeasts; sirtuins are associated with extended lifespan.

Cells treated with small doses of resveratrol lived on average for 38 generations, as opposed to 19 for untreated yeast. Similar doses helped 30% of treated human cells to survive gamma radiation, compared with 10% of untreated cells.

"We think sirtuins buy cells time to repair damage," Dr Sinclair said. "There is a growing realisation that blocking cell death, as long as it doesn't lead to cancer, extends life span."