In January 2009, as most Americans were either making or breaking their New Year's resolutions to get healthier, a Morly Safer 60 Minutes interview with Dr Christoph Westphal raised the profile of a functional ingredient called resveratrol. The report gave credence to the French paradox, citing the puzzling almost impossibility that the French are healthier than Americans despite fattier diets, smoking and abundant wine drinking. It turns out an ingredient in wine may well be the scientific breakthrough that scientists have been looking for. With that, sales for resveratrol spiked to $1,027,475 in mid-May 2009 from a mere $231,356 in 2007 (natural channels). The largest growth was seen in mass channels from 2008 to 2009 ­— $844,666 to $2,279,107, respectively.

Since the 60 Minutes report, resveratrol has gained status as the future's fountain of youth for its ability to mimic calorie restriction, which may play a role in longevity. Popularity aside, researchers warned that too much resveratrol is not a good thing and that dosage should be limited to 350mg/day.