Fewer calories, fewer wrinkles
It is another reason for us to consume fewer calories and keep the weight off after researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden identified ‘less really is more’. Researchers say eating less can help to slow the ageing process and the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type two diabetes.
It is another reason for us to consume fewer calories and keep the weight off after researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden identified ‘less really is more’.
Researchers say eating less can help to slow the ageing process and the development of age-related diseases such as cancer and type two diabetes.
“We are able to show that caloric restriction slows down ageing by preventing an enzyme, peroxiredoxin, from being inactivated. This enzyme is also extremely important in counteracting damage to our genetic material,” Mikael Molin, of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, says.
Tested on fish and rats to fungi, flies and yeasts, the gradual reduction of sugar and proteins has reportedly indicated extended longevity.
Restricting calories also may help delay the development of age-related disease, however it has been difficult for researchers to explain exactly why this is the case.
However, they are able to show that active peroxiredoxin 1, Prx1, an enzyme that breaks down harmful hydrogen peroxide in the cells, is required for caloric restriction to work effectively.
The results, published in the scientific journal Molecular Cell, show Prx1 is damaged during ageing and loses its activity. Caloric restriction counteracts this by increasing the production of another enzyme, Srx1, in turn repairing Prx1.
Impaired Prx1 function is said to lead to various types of genetic defects and cancer.
Peroxiredoxins have also been shown to be capable of preventing proteins from being damaged and aggregating, which is a process that has been linked to several age-related disorders affecting the nervous system, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
