A pill made from grapes could be the key to living longer

Scientists have found that injecting rodents with a grape seed extract increased their remaining time alive by over 60 per cent.

The overall lifespan for the creatures was boosted by nine per cent - the equivalent of more than a decade in the average human.

Dr Yu Sun, who works at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shanghai, said: "The plant chemical has high potential as a clinical intervention to delay, alleviate, or prevent illnesses."

The effect is due to the plant chemical PCC1, which flushes out "zombie" cells that have stopped dividing.

The process halts naturally as people get older and release chemicals that age us.

The results mean that it could be possible to prolong human life with medication that is derived from natural sources, but a safe dosage needs to be established before clinical trials in humans can begin.

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