Scientists have studied the health benefits of red wine for years. It contains something called resveratrol that could add years to your life. 

They've recently learned that it takes much less resveratrol than they thought to reap the benefits.

The Key to Long Life?

After the great flood recorded in the Bible, Noah planted vineyards. He lived 900 years -- could there be a connection between long life and the ingredients in wine?

David Sinclair from Harvard Medical School has been studying reseveratrol, an ingredient in red wine that shows amazing anti-aging properties.

"I think it's going to be the molecule of the 21st century. There are many studies out there that it can slow down cancer, prevent cancer, prevent osteoporosis. It's like a miracle molecule," he said.

Now, Sinclair is releasing new research and the results are astonishing.

Mice that were fed a high calorie, high fat diet with resveratrol became resistant to diabetes, heart disease and liver damage.

What About 'Quality' of Life?

Many people wouldn't want to live longer if it meant living in disability. But the mice on resveratrol actually gained balance and coordination as they aged.

"It's making the cell repair its DNA and stop the genes from being re-arranged -- and that allows for longer life," Sinclair said.

Sinclair is no fan of wine, so he gets resveratrol from capsules that preserve the fragile substance.

He said, "We... figured out what the optimal dose will be in a capsule and it approximates to a few glasses of red wine a day without the alcohol."

What may it mean? That resveratrol now or a future resveratrol-like drug could produce longer lives -- in good health. And a healthy lifestyle could enhance both of those.