September 7/Edmonton, Alberta/University of Alberta -- The antioxidant resveratrol, which is commonly found in red wine and grapes, may significantly reduce an individual's chances of developing metabolic syndrome, a collection of cardio-metabolic risk factors that often leads to type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Alberta tested the effectiveness of the antioxidant in a group of low-birth weight lab mice. These rodents frequently put on weight rapidly after birth in order to catch up to a normal developmental stage. However, this can cause metabolic changes that may predispose them to type 2 diabetes. The same effect happens in human babies.