While studies have shown that a reduced calorie diet that is low in sugar may have significant health benefits including reduced longevity, new research has shown how it can benefit the body on the cellular level.
Researchers tweaked an enzyme found in yeast cells to make it last one-fifth longer than normal yeast cells, which Dr Heng Zhu at Johns Hopkins University says could provide dividends for humans since both organisms use the same enzyme.
The biological catalyst regulates sugar production, which is important because lower blood sugar production has been linked to increased longevity.
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that a gene, pha-4, is linked to longevity because of its role in maintaining blood sugar concentrations, adding that a diet that had 60 percent the normal caloric intake could prolong ones lifespan.
A previous study at Louisiana State University found that a reduced-calorie diet aided longevity by leading to a reduction in fasting insulin level and core body temperature, said the authors.