X-Message-Number: 14551 From: Date: Tue, 26 Sep 2000 15:51:25 EDT Subject: caloric restriction benefits without the pain >On Fri, 22 Sep 2000 11:28:35 -0400 John Clark wrote: > In today's (Sept 22) issue of Science Dr. Leonard Guarente > reports that he's found exactly why caloric restriction leads to > longer life; at least he's found the mechanism that works yeast > and strongly suspects the same thing is true of all life. Caloric > restriction has extend the life of every species it has been > tested in. > > The key is a gene called SIR2 , the protein it produces clads > to parts of the DNA helix, covering it up and in effect turns off > other genes that are supposed to be turned off. But for the > gene to make this cladding protein it needs a substance called > NAD, and it turns out NAD is also used in glucose metabolism, > so if you eat a lot there is less NAD available to make this very > important cladding protein. > > There is talk of a pill. Geneticist Tomas Prolla referring to life > extension says "I don't think a 30 to 40% range should be > considered some kind of maximum. >Great news, if true! >The next step, I reckon, is boosting levels of NAD to see what happens. >What exactly is NAD? NAD is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. As stated in the paper in SCIENCE, there are two ways to make it: out of niacin, and out of quinolic acid. Thanks for posting the info on the paper by Guarente. By taking niacin (as part of a multivitamin, of course) and lowering blood glucose levels (by not eating carbos most of the day, drinking ginseng, etc.; there are various techniques, but no serious life extensionist goes around with high blood sugar) we are probably getting most of the benefits of caloric restriction. Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=14551