A plant extract found in the skin of red grapes known as resveratrol seems to suppress inflammation and could fight aging among humans, a new study suggests.

The study, authored by Husam Ghanim of the University of Buffalo, says that the plant extract found in food sources like grapes, wine, peanuts and blueberries, can prolong life and and reduce the aging rate among roundworms, yeast and fruit flies.

The reason behind this phenomenon was attributed to the presence of a gene associated with longevity. In addition, they also found that resveratol also reduced inflammation among humans that leads to heart disease, type-2 diabetes and stroke.

As part of the study, a group of 20 people were brought in and split into two random groups. One received a placebo and the other a supplement containing 40 mg of resveratol which the volunteers took once a day for six weeks.

Before initiating the exercise, the researchers took blood samples and repeated it after one, two, three and six weeks. It was found that resveratrol suppressed the generation of unstable molecules known to cause oxidative stress and result in the release of inflammatory substances that interfere with insulin action.

Additionally, blood samples from the group on placebo showed no significant change in the pro-inflammation markers, thus leading the team to believe that resveratrol could actually reduce the risk fo diseases like type-2 diabetes, stroke and heart ailments.

The authors of the study, published online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, say that though the results are promising they do not eliminate the chances that something other than resveratrol could be the reason behind the positive effects on anti-inflammation.