Researchers may be closer than ever to discover the secret to longevity, as new research by University of Wisconsin-Madison reveals that a compound in red wine may help extend the human lifespan.

The ingredient, called resveratrol, was tested on lab mice, and found to “retard some aspects of aging” by up to 30 percent. Resveratrol was also studied in the past, including one study that turned regular mice into athletic super-mice.

Resveratrol is a biological survival mechanism that switches the body’s resources from fertility to tissue maintenance by activating protein agents known in people as sirtuins. Therefore, life is prolonged since it reduces at the same time degenerative diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer’s. Also certain cancers could be treated with drugs containing this ingredient if proven efficacious.

The problem with resveratrol is that it should be administered in high quantities to achieve its purposes. At least that is what previous studies have shown, with mice being given the equivalent of what they would have gotten from 100 bottles of wine a day.

However, the new study by researchers from the University of Wisconsin, published in the journal PLos One, showed that resveratrol may be effective in mice and people in much lower doses than previously thought necessary. Mice on their study were given a dose equivalent to just 35 bottles a day.

“The precise number of glasses of wine or bottles of wine are difficult to predict,” said Wisconsin-Madison professor Richard Weindruch, lead author of the study said according to ABC News.

The new report comes as several scientists are already wondering if they could put resveratrol in a pill. On Monday, a company called Sirtris, a startup founded in 2004 to develop drugs with the same effects as resveratrol, completed its sale to GlaxoSmithKline for $720 million.

The company has been testing resveratrol and other drugs that activate sirtuin. Moreover, in April, the company reported that SRT501, its variant of resveratrol reduced glucose levels in diabetic patients. Clinical trials are on the way, as many researchers believe it is far too early to take the drug, especially using wine as its source. More study has to be done so its safety and effectiveness are proved.

Until further data is available, people have one more reason to taste from red wine’s pleasures. Cheers!