New Study Explains How Eating Less Can Slow Down Aging Process; See Details Here!

• comments
• 
• 

 A recent study has shed more light into how reducing caloric levels or cutting calories in diet influences aging inside a cell. Aging occurs deeper, at a cellular level but researchers have found that eating less can slow this cellular process.

The authors of the recent study discovered that when the cell's protein makers, also known as ribosomes, slow down, the aging process slows down too. This reduction in speed helps to lower production but it is said to give ribosome ample time to engage in a repair procedure.

"The ribosome is a very complex machine, sort of like your car, and it periodically needs maintenance to replace the parts that wear out the fastest," Brigham Young University biochemistry professor and senior author, John Price said. He continued to cite an instance that when car tires wear out, the owner does not throw the whole car away to purchase a new car but follows a cheaper route to replace the tires, Science Daily.

Previous studies have shown that the reduction of calorie consumption slows down the production of ribosomes in mice. In the instant study, the researchers studied two groups of mice closely, where mice in one group were given unlimited access to food but those in the other group were restricted to consume 35 percent fewer calories even though they were still given all the necessary nutrients for their survival.

When calorie consumption levels are restricted, there will be almost a linear increase in lifespan, Price explained. The researchers found that the restriction caused real biochemical changes that slowed down the process of aging.

They discovered that the calorie-restricted mice were more energetic and suffered fewer diseases. But it is not just that theses mice are living longer, it is due to the fact that they are better when it comes to maintaining their bodies. They are also younger for a longer period of time as well, Price explains.

However, the researchers are not the first to suggest a link between the reduction in calorie consumption and the boost of lifespan, but they were the first to show that general protein synthesis can slow down. They are also the first to recognize the role of ribosomes in facilitating youth-extending biochemical changes.

They noted that Ribosome utilized up to 20 percent of the cell's total energy in building all the proteins necessary for the cell to carry out it routine. The researchers state that for this reason, it is not possible to destroy an entire ribosome due to malfunction.

They recommend the regular repair of parts of the ribosome, therefore, enabling the continuous production of high-quality proteins for a longer period than they would otherwise. The production of these high-quality proteins then helps to keeps cells and the body in a perfect condition, according to Esciencenews.

Although the study found a link between calories restriction and improved lifespan, it is yet to be tested in humans as an anti-aging strategy and the message of the study remains a reminder that people should take better care of their bodies. The findings were published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics.