Harvard researchers find longevity, restricted diet link
Enzymes rev up cellular power pack
By Alvin Powell
Harvard News Office
Researchers believe they’ve found the cellular link between extremely restricted diets and dramatically lengthened lifespan and hope to use the knowledge to develop new treatments for age-related diseases.
Scientists have known for about 70 years that extremely restricted diets — where caloric intake is 30 percent to 40 percent below normal — can extend lifespan by as much as a third. In addition, those years are healthier and relatively free of common age-related debilities such as cancer, heart problems, and type 2 diabetes.
“For decades we have understood that mitochondria are the power packs of cells,” said Harvard Medical School Associate Professor of Pathology David Sinclair, the study’s senior author. “[This research] shows that they are the gatekeepers of our health.”
Leave a Reply