With extended life expectancy globally, optimising the health and wellbeing of an increasing numberof ageing population is an important economic and medical challenge facing in Australia. Since womenhave a longer life expectancy than men, they experienced more of the total disease burden due toliving with chronic diseases such as dementia, rather than from dying early from disease or injury.

Having optimal mental and physical wellbeing without or few chronic debilitating diseases enableprolonged independent living for older adults (World Health Organization, 2015). This requiresmaintaining good health throughout life perhaps by continuous implementation of healthy diet andlifestyle choices, such as regular exercise to help maintain good circulatory function as adequateperfusion to our brain and other vital organs are crucial for bodily functions.

Non-pharmacologicalinterventions such as bioactive nutrients have been shown to delay or reverse the circulatorydysfunction (Barbour et al. , 2014, Sinn and Howe, 2008, Wong et al.

, 2013b) or improve the health ofendothelium - the functional unit of the blood vessels - which can in turn boosts mental clarity, mood,physical vitality and immune function. Of particular interest for optimising women's health isresveratrol, a phytoestrogen, which has been shown to improve systemic and cerebral endothelialfunctions in humans (Wong et al.

, 2016a, Wong et al. , 2013a).

Considering the over-the-counteravailability of resveratrol, investigating the effects of regular long-term supplementation may help toconfirm its sustained benefits, which can eventually provide pivotal evidence in the recommendationand regulation of food fortification and functional food claims. My research will investigate whetherchronic resveratrol supplementation can deliver sustained improvements on cognition,cerebrovascular function, cardiometabolic markers, bone mineral density and general well-being inelderly women.

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