Med Headlines - The mystery of the dietary “French paradox” may be one step closer to becoming a mystery solved. And with that solution may come the revolutionary diet pill many overweight or diabetic-prone people dream of.

The mystery is that people in France enjoy a lifetime of dining on rich, high-fat foods but suffer little from the medical consequences, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary illness, that so many people in other parts of the world develop on similar diets. One long-held theory is that the wine enjoyed with most French meals holds the key.

Resveratrol, a substance that occurs naturally in the skin of grapes, is considered a likely candidate for the healthy aspects of the French diet but, so far, research has not zeroed in on exactly why or how this works. And it is virtually impossible to produce or package resveratrol in a compound potent enough to prevent or reduce the effects of insulin sensitivity and heart disease associated with a diet rich in fats.

Recently, however, researchers at Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., have discovered a compound that mimics the effects of resveratrol but in smaller, more potent concentrations and at less cost.

Studies using mice have shown that those on a high-fat diet and those genetically prone to insulin sensitivity and other metabolic problems associated with a high-fat diet experience significant improvement when given the compound, known as SIRT1720.

The healthy effects of the compound are similar to those achieved when taking the drug rosiglitazone, marketed under the brand name Avandia.

Researchers caution that the compound offers promising results in mice but what works in mice doesn’t always work the same way for humans. Clinical trials using humans are expected to begin next year.

Details of this highly sought “magic pill” can be found in the November 29 issue of Nature.