A new study may help to boost sales of wine hampers after it was found that a compound in red wine helps to aid long-term weight loss.

Research carried out by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences looked at how bees behaved after being fed the composite resveratrol.

It was discovered that after eating the ingredient, the insects opted to eat considerably less food than normal.

In particular, the bees showed a distinct lack of interest in sugary foods and diluted sugar solutions, which are usually a favourite.

"It's possible resveratrol may be working by some mechanism that is related to caloric restriction - a dietary regimen long-known to extend lifespan in diverse organisms," Brenda Rascon, who worked on the study, stated.

The researchers believe the results of the experiment, which are published in the journal Aging, could indicate how resveratrol could be used to help obese individuals to successful lose weight.