Restricting calories can improve health and make you live longer, but scientists don't fully understand how it protects the brain.
Scientists have made an exciting discovery regarding a gene called OXR1, which has a significant impact on extending lifespan and promoting healthy brain aging through dietary restriction.
Furthermore, they have uncovered a detailed understanding of the cellular process behind how dietary restriction effectively slows down the aging process and mitigates the advancement of neurodegenerative diseases.
How it was discovered
In their work, specialists conducted experiments on both fruit flies and human cells to explore potential targets for therapies that can slow down aging and age-related neurological diseases.
The study unveiled a specific response in neurons that provides protection to the brain during dietary restriction.
Methods like intermittent fasting or calorie restriction have the ability to enhance the levels of the OXR1 gene, which plays a crucial role in mediating these protective effects.
OXR1 is an important gene that contributes to the brain's resilience against aging and neurological diseases.
It acts as a shield for cells, protecting them from oxidative damage.
When OXR1 is lost in humans, it can result in severe neurological defects and early death.
The team delved into the connections between brain aging, neurodegeneration, and lifespan.
They discovered that OXR1 has an impact on a complex called the retromer, which is responsible for recycling cellular proteins and lipids.
Important results
The experiment highlights that dietary restriction slows down brain aging by keeping the retromer through the action of the OXR1 gene.
Eating fewer calories improves the proper sorting of proteins in cells.
The specialists plan to identify compounds that can increase OXR1 levels during aging to delay brain aging.
This research helps us understand why our brains degenerate and shows the significance of maintaining a healthy diet.
Previously, we talked about crab meat benefits.
