Barbara Walter's Statement on Resveratrol

June 19, 2009— -- You may have seen ads primarily on the internet for various products -- creams that supposedly remove wrinkles; pills or beverages containing an unknown amount of something called resveratrol.

These ads are often accompanied with my photograph, implying that I endorse the product. This is totally false. I have no idea if any of these products work and I rather doubt that they do.

This occurred because several years ago I presented a television special on longevity that featured research on the possibility of living longer. One such possibility was a pill with huge amounts of a substance called resveratrol, which is found in the skin of red grapes and extracted from red wine. But you would have to drink a tub of red wine to get the so-called benefits.

The actual pill containing massive amounts of resveratrol is still years away from being marketed, and it's not approved by the FDA. We do not know if there are any benefits.

In the meantime, I want to make it clear that I do not endorse any product.