Fasting interventions are believed to improve health, but they don't work as well in older animals.
Researchers studied killifish and found that older fish don't follow a regular fasting and refeeding cycle, remaining in a state of fasting even when they eat.
These fish showed improved health and longevity, suggesting that both fasting and refeeding are necessary for health benefits and work through AMP kinase.
How it works
Eating less has been shown to be good for health in many animals, but it's hard for humans to do it consistently.
Scientists studied different age groups of killifish and found that older fish didn't get the same benefits from fasting as younger fish.
The fat tissue of older fish didn't respond well to food, so they were in a constant fasting state.
When researchers increased the activity of a specific part of AMP kinase, it reversed the fasting-like state in older fish, making them healthier and live longer.
They also discovered a connection between this part of AMP kinase and aging in humans, with lower levels found in older people.
Future research will focus on finding substances that activate this part of AMP kinase and see if they can have a positive effect on aging.
Previously, we talked about blue matcha.
