Can Red Wine in Pill Form Help You Lose Weight?

Scientists have long been on the search for a new fat-burning medication and it looks like they have found a new candidate that could help keep extra weight off, even on a high-fat diet. The new medication, which is in development, mimics a health-boosting compound that is found in red wine and may prove to be a powerful weapon in the fight against diabetes and obesity.

A new study conducted on mice showed that GlaxoSmithKline drug SRT1720 was approximately 1,000 times more potent than resveratrol in activating an enzyme that helped the mice burn more energy and lower their glucose and insulin levels. So far, this experimental drug has only been tested on mice, but when the mice got a high daily dose of the drug for around three months, they didn’t even gain weight on a diet that was high in fat. However, a lower dose of the drug was not as effective.

The researchers reported that the mice that were fed a high-fat diet were tricked into switching their metabolisms to a fat-burning mode that would normally take over when their energy levels are low.

Peter Elliot, the vice president at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (the Glaxo unit that developed the medication), said, “We are activating the same enzymes that are activated when people go to the gym. That is why we believe the profile for this drug is very safe.” When the mice were given the high dose of the drug they gained strength and endurance, and did not develop insulin resistance, which is a condition that precedes type 2 diabetes.

Resveratrol is found in large amounts in red wine and grapes and is believed to provide numerous heath benefits, including the prevention of heart disease. A previous study from the same team showed that it lowered insulin and glucose in diabetics. The incident of cancer and heart disease among the population that consumes a great deal of red wine is dramatically less than those that don’t, even if they may also have a diet that is high in fat. Resveratrol has been demonstrated to promote the formation of new dendrites in the brain. Resveratrol and the other bioflavoniods and polyphenols are present in large amounts in bark of grape vines, twigs, and leaves. In turn, red wine, which is fermented with the skins of the grapes, twigs and seeds, etc., tends to contain a much larger amount of the beneficial substances than white wine which is fermented only from the pressed juice of the grape.

The natural compound has also drawn much interest from some companies and scientists, including GlaxoSmithKline, which this year paid approximately $720 million dollars for Sirtris in a deal that allowed them to acquire a number of developmental medications for a range of diseases.

A Phase I trail conducted has shown that the treatment is safe and very well-tolerated and the company is planning on beginning a wider Phase II trail with patients with diabetes in 2009, according to Elliot, who led the study.

Resveratrol has been shown to make mice live a longer life and stay healthier. In the researcher’s study of mice that were diabetic, they found that the experimental medication helped lower their insulin and blood sugar levels to normal levels within just a few weeks with no harmful side effects.

It has also been shown to lower cholesterol and helped the mice on the medication lose a modest amount of weight compared to the mice that were given a placebo, Elliot stated. The mice that were on the medication were also able to exercise twice as long.

SRT1720 is still a long way from being ready to use in people, but there is already a low-tech way of preventing weight gain and also benefiting the bones, heart and the rest of the body. This is the timeless combination of an active lifestyle and a healthy diet.