Some 500 years ago, Ponce de Leon trampled through Florida in search of the Fountain of Youth. Little did he know that the answer may have been as near as the wine barrels in his native Europe. According to GlaxoSmithKline, synthetic versions of resveratrol, which is found in red wine, have an anti-aging effect and could help people live as long as 150 years. Although it may be five years before life extending drugs are available, similar medications that prevents cancer, diabetes and heart disease are already viable.

Ultimately, these drugs would treat one disease, but unlike drugs of today, they would prevent 20 others,” Harvard University genetics professor David Sinclair said. “In effect, they would slow aging.”

Resveratrol has been researched for the past 10 years, although the health properties associated with small quantities of red wine have long been proclaimed. New drug trials, however, now who positive results in relations to treating cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, fatty liver disease, cataracts, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, psoriasis, arthritis, colitis and even sleep disorders with synthetic resveratrol. According to Sinclair, the first drugs, which can be taken orally or topically, will be marketed to treat type 2 diabetes and psoriasis. In drug trials, diabetics were found to have an improved metabolism and psoriasis sufferers’ saw a reduction in skin redness.

Sinclair hopes someday the drugs can be taken as a preventative. For example, a resveratrol drug could be taken orally to prevent, rather than treat, cardiovascular disease.

Now we are looking at whether there are benefits for those who are already healthy,” he said. “Things there are also looking promising. We’re finding that live to 150, but we won’t get here without more research.”

Although our bodies might live to be 150 years old, resveratrol won’t stop us from looking like a bunch of Crypt Keepers—at least not yet. No drugs have been developed to target skin aging, although one major skin care company has developed a crème with resveratrol in it.

Isn’t living to 150 extremely selfish, however? Sure, most people are afraid of death to one extreme or another, and would certainly like to extend their lives. But what about the circle of life? If the majority—or even a great deal—of people started living beyond the age of 100, what would happen to the world’s overpopulation? What would happen to the economy a was such a large percentage of the retired population remained alive. Disproportionate wouldn’t even begin describe it. Do we really want to be a leech on society? Retiring for 30 years or so is one thing, but 80 years? Isn’t that a little ridiculous? Not to mention the increased population’s burden on natural resources and global food supply. It’s simply the course of nature for people to die. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Unless a good proportion of the younger population were to be sterilized, extending life spans so significantly would spell absolute disaster in a short amount of time.