'Low glucose intake could help with age-related diseases,' says a study

Scientific evidence supporting that ‘eating a small meal is the secret to longevity’ has been discovered by a Korean research team. A research team led by Dr. Kwon Eun-soo at the Center for Aging Convergence Research at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology announced on the 16th that they had succeeded in identifying the mechanism of action of a molecule that extends lifespan when glucose intake is restricted.

Glucose is the most important energy source for living organisms, but studies have found that excessive glucose consumption accelerates aging. However, on the contrary, there is a lack of research on whether aging progresses slowly when glucose intake is reduced.

The research team found that when glucose intake is restricted in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), an organism mainly used for aging research, proteins involved in energy regulation are activated, and their life span increases. When C. elegans ingested E. coli, which lowered their ability to synthesize glucose, the fluidity of their cell membranes made of fat increased. As aging progresses, the lipid components that make up cell membranes change, and their fluidity decreases. This means that if you eat a low-glucose diet, you can prevent the loss of fluidity caused by aging.

The researchers also confirmed that when glucose was restricted in C. elegans, which causes Alzheimer's disease, the disease progressed more slowly. This suggests that low glucose intake may help with other age-related diseases.

"This study is the first in the world to approach the relationship between diet and aging through a genetic method," said Dr. Kwon, the head of the research. "We will contribute to the further development of this technology.”


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