Size 0 aside, less calories could keep brain young

London: Restricting the number of calories you eat activates genes linked to longevity and keeps the brain functioning properly for longer, according to research on mice.
Low-calorie diets have been shown by animal studies to extend life, reduce the risk of dementia and disease and boost memory, but experts were unsure how this happened.
Researchers from the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Rome claim eating fewer calories triggers a protein, CREB1, which switches on sirtuins, molecules linked to a longer and healthier life. They said the discovery could lead to new drugs that could keep the brain healthy and youthful without a restrictive diet. This was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.
Mice that were permitted only 70% calories they usually ate lived a third longer than normal and showed better mental function, were less likely to suffer from obesity or diabetes, slower to develop dementia and showed less aggression.

Genetically-engineered mice in whom the molecule had been permanently deactivated did not get the same benefit from dieting.
Having too rich a diet is thought to bring forward the brain-ageing process and raise the risk of age-related diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
The finding backs up previous studies on CREB1, which is known to play a key role in a variety of processes in the brain, including memory and learning. Because CREB1 weakens as we grow older, triggering it by eating less could help slow down the mental ageing process, scientists believe.
Giovambattista Pani, who led the research, said: “This discovery has important implications to develop future therapies to keep our brain young, and prevent brain degeneration and the ageing process. Our hope is to find a way to activate CREB1, for example through new drugs.”