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(Nov. 5)
Researchers in France say a drug similar to an extract found in red wine can fool the body into burning off fat -- even on a high-fat diet, BBC News reported.
Scientists at the University of Louis Pasteur found the experimental drug SRT1720 protected mice against weight gain and insulin resistance. The drug works by making the metabolism transition into the fat-burning mode it typically uses when energy levels are low, according to Science Daily.
SRT1720 targets the anti-aging protein SIRT1. The French team began focusing on the SIRT1 protein after previous studies showed that it helps resveratrol, a chemical found in the skin of grapes and in red wine, combat effects of a high-calorie diet. Resveratrol has been used to explain "the French paradox," the perplexing fact that the French have low rates of heart disease and obesity despite their typically high-fat diets.
According to BBC News, a person would have to consume gallons of wine to get the same benefits as the tests on mice. That's why scientists are trying to create a more potent drug to target SIRT1 and achieve the same effect.
Researchers in France say a drug similar to an extract found in red wine can fool the body into burning off fat -- even on a high-fat diet, BBC News reported.
Scientists at the University of Louis Pasteur found the experimental drug SRT1720 protected mice against weight gain and insulin resistance. The drug works by making the metabolism transition into the fat-burning mode it typically uses when energy levels are low, according to Science Daily.
SRT1720 targets the anti-aging protein SIRT1. The French team began focusing on the SIRT1 protein after previous studies showed that it helps resveratrol, a chemical found in the skin of grapes and in red wine, combat effects of a high-calorie diet. Resveratrol has been used to explain "the French paradox," the perplexing fact that the French have low rates of heart disease and obesity despite their typically high-fat diets.
According to BBC News, a person would have to consume gallons of wine to get the same benefits as the tests on mice. That's why scientists are trying to create a more potent drug to target SIRT1 and achieve the same effect.
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