
Beneficial effects of low-calorie diets on healthy ageing has been highlighted in a new study. Targeting mechanisms in the central nervous system sense energy generated by nutrients.
The study conducted at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggested that Targeting mechanisms in the central nervous system that sense energy generated by nutrients might yield the beneficial effects of low-calorie diets on healthy aging without the need to alter food intake.
The study focused on a molecule called "AMP-activated protein kinase," or AMPK, which acts as a molecular fuel gauge to detect energy levels. It's been known that AMPK plays important roles in all cell types, but researchers didn't understand which of these activities were most critical to regulating longevity.
The study suggested that manipulating this energy-sensing pathway can cause organisms to perceive their cells to be in a low-energy state, even if they are eating normally and energy levels are high. Drugs targeting the cells' energy-sensors in this way could potentially address age-related diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration, and may offer an alternative to caloric restriction.
The study is published in the journal Cell.
Source: ANI
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