New Harvard Research Shows Why Fasting Can Point to a Longer and Healthier Life
Intermittent fasting diets are all the fad these days. We are witnessing everything from the conservative 5:2 diet into more serious fasting methods gaining prominence in Silicon Valley circles, but while there's been lots of observational research pointing out the correlation between fasting and positive health effects, we still don't have a good comprehension of any underlying biological mechanism in play.
A new study from Harvard has shown how fasting can slow aging, can increase lifespan and improve health by changing the activity of networks within our cells.
"Although previous work has demonstrated how intermittent fasting may slow aging, we are only starting to comprehend the underlying biology," states William Mair, senior author on the research.
Mitochondria are a little tiny power plants within our body. Last year a crew of researchers led by Newcastle University triumphantly showed how mitochondria are key to the aging of cells. The new study from Harvard shows how the changing contours of adrenal networks may impact longevity and lifespan, but more importantly, the study demonstrates how fasting manipulates those mitochondrial networks to keep them at a "young" state.
Inside mitochondrial cells networks, it usually oscillates between two states: fused and fragmented. Employing an organism as it only lives for a couple of weeks for analyzing useful, nematode worms, the study found that fasting promote homeostasis in networks enabling for a plasticity involving these conditions.
"Our work shows how important the plasticity of mitochondria networks is for the benefits of fasting. When we lock mitochondria in one state, we completely block the effects of fasting or nutritional restriction on longevity," says Mair.
The analysis found that adrenal coordination is enhanced by fasting with peroxisomes, a type of organelle that can increase fatty acid oxidation, a metabolism procedure. From the experiments of the study, the lifespan of this worm was increased by preserving network homeostasis. These findings help show how fasting may increase longevity and promote healthful aging.
"Low-energy conditions like dietary restriction and intermittent fasting have previously been shown to promote wholesome aging. Knowing why this is the fact is a crucial step in being able to harness the advantages therapeutically," explains Heather Weir, lead author of the study.
"Our findings open up new avenues in the search for therapeutic approaches that will reduce our probability of developing age-related ailments as we age."
