For decades we we have known that reducing calorie intake — not nutrients — can be beneficial and increase life expectancy, but we didn’t know why, until now.
According to U.S. researchers, the benefits of calorie reduction can be seen at a molecular level.
In a study released Thursday, scientists suggest that the link between calorie restriction and longevity may be a molecular response to stresses from reducing calorie intake.
Researchers believe that the reaction preserves critical cellular functions between enzymes created by two genes called SIRT3 and SIRT4,. The reaction increases the bodies ability to fight age related disease, reported CNN.
“We’re not sure yet what particular mechanism is activated by these increased levels of NAD, and as a result SIRT3 and SIRT4,” said David Sinclair, a molecular biologist at Harvard Medical School who worked on the study.
“These two genes, SIRT3 and SIRT4, they make proteins that go into mitochondria. … These are little energy packs inside our cells that are very important for staying healthy and youthful and, as we age, we lose them and they get less efficient,” Sinclair said.
“They are also very important for keeping the cells healthy and alive when they undergo stress and DNA damage, as we undergo every day during the aging process.”
“But we do see that normal cell-suicide programs are noticeably attenuated,” he said.
Their study, published in the journal Cell, helps explain why animals fed low-calorie diets live longer, but it also might lead to a pill which could lead to a pill to fight many diseases, the researchers said.
“What we are talking about is potentially having one pill that prevents and even cures many diseases at once,” said Sinclair.
The study is published in the latest issue of the journal Cell.
New Clue To Why Eating Fewer Calories Can Help You Live Longer
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