Resveratrol is one of the most exciting antioxidants out there. If Sirtris develops a drug that could slow down all diseases, it would be an "FDA-approvable blockbuster of unprecedented scope."

It appears that resveratrol does have the power to extend life, just as the less-desirable method of calorie restriction does.

Most experts agree that calorie restriction does extend life; studies have found that reducing normal calorie intake by about one-third extends animals' lifespans by 30 percent or more. However on a practical level most people are not willing to go through that kind of deprivation. So even though this is a tried and true strategy it is a dismal failure from a practical perspective.

That is where reserveratrol comes in as it appears to produce the same benefits as calorie restriction and even works on similar mechanisms, but it does it without any of the pain and suffering of depriving oneself of food.

While this new research is exciting, I wouldn't put my hopes of a long, healthy life into the hands of a pharmaceutical company, as the odds are overwhelmingly against you and for their bottom line. 

Fortunately, you don't have to wait for any drug company to produce this product as there are a number of different companies that produce this right now.

If you want to boost your consumption of resveratrol it is important to focus on products that have the WHOLE grape skins and seeds. This will be FAR more effective than obtaining it from red wine as some people suggest.

Meanwhile, if you have any interest in extending your lifespan, you will want to watch the Nova video above, which reviews the incredible work of a Harvard researcher who is performing much of the pioneering work in the field.

On Vital Votes, biochemist Russ Bianchi from Soquel, California says:

"Be careful what one wishes for, as the old saying goes ...

"I do not disagree in any way with this good news on resveratrol, I merely would like to point out that it must be in a form that is bioavailable, for metabolic utilization.

"Also dosage WILL VARY in each, or specific, individuals, with specific needs or predispositions, in specific dosages, based on their age, body weight, etc.

"Additionally, dosage must be over a measured time period, coordinated with all other caloric intake or exercise regiment (if any) that may, or may not, assist, or inhibit, effective utilization of the resveratrol.

"Americans love their magic silver bullets ... or what a friend of mine calls the 'yo-yo syndrome'... eat a quart of ice cream, and then think something can counter it without ... consequences.

"Common sense goes a long way in assisting on a healthy lifestyle also."