Researchers talked about the effects of calorie restriction on brain aging

Long-term reduction of caloric intake by about a third can slow down the natural aging processes of the brain. This was reported on November 25 in the journal Medical Xpress.

The study was conducted as part of a major project launched in the 1980s in collaboration with the US National Institute of Aging. The sample included two groups: one received a regular balanced diet, the other consumed about 30% fewer calories for more than 20 years. The main goal was to assess the effect of dietary restrictions on life expectancy, but postmortem brain analysis allowed us to study the neurobiological effects of diet.

The research methodology included RNA sequencing of individual cell nuclei, which made it possible to evaluate the molecular profile of each cell type of the central nervous system. In the participants who followed a low-calorie diet, the cells showed healthier metabolic parameters and increased activity of genes associated with the synthesis of myelin. Additionally, increased activity of key metabolic pathways was recorded, including glycolysis and fatty acid biosynthesis, which determine the maintenance of the myelin sheath.

"Although calorie restriction has long been considered an effective way to slow biological aging and reduce age—related metabolic changes in short-lived experimental models, the results of this study provide rare, long-term evidence that such a diet can protect against brain aging in more complex organisms," said lead author Ana Vitantogno, PhD student at the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics..

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The government was recommended to take this step in the State Duma.

In turn, Tara Moore, Professor of anatomy and Neurobiology, emphasized that such cellular changes can affect cognitive functions. She emphasized that eating habits can influence the trajectory of brain aging at the cellular level, and long-term calorie reduction potentially slows down key processes of age-related changes.

According to the authors, the results of the work complement the growing body of evidence that metabolic disorders and oxidative stress in old age impair the ability of cells to maintain the integrity of myelin, which leads to the degradation of white matter. According to the article, the chronic activation of microglia in the conditions of aging also plays a role in neuroinflammatory processes.

Earlier, on November 19, Medical Xpress magazine reported on the effect of ultra-processed foods on overeating. According to the publication, even with a feeling of fullness, young people aged 18 to 21 who consumed a diet high in UOP overeated more often.

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