Dietary Restriction Shows Potential Benefits for Brain Health and Lifespan Extension

Researchers at the Buck Institute have made a ground-breaking revelation about the substantial influence of dietary restriction on longevity and cognitive ageing. The study concentrated on the less well-studied relationship between eating less and how it affects the development of neurodegenerative brain diseases.

The primary author of the study, Dr. Kenneth Wilson, emphasised the surprising function of the gene OXR1 in brain function. “When people restrict the amount of food that they eat, they typically think it might affect their digestive tract or fat buildup, but not necessarily about how it affects the brain,” said Dr. Wilson. “As it turns out, this is a gene that is important in the brain.”

Within the category of dietary restriction, the researchers found that intermittent fasting and low-calorie diets enhanced a neuron-specific response. It was discovered that the gene OXR1 controls this reaction, demonstrating its importance in preserving cognitive function.

Dietary restriction has been shown to significantly slow down the ageing process and minimise the beginning of neurodegenerative brain disorders, according to extensive studies conducted on human cells and fruit flies.

With the words, “Strategies such as intermittent fasting or caloric restriction, which limit nutrients, may enhance levels of this gene to mediate its protective effects,” Professor Pankaj Kapahi highlighted the neuroprotective effects of dietary restriction.

Buck Professor Lisa Ellerby, PhD, a co-senior author of the paper, continued, “The gene is an important brain resilience factor protecting against ageing and neurological diseases.” The link between OXR1, neurodegeneration, lifespan, and brain ageing was further investigated in this work.

The effect of OXR1 on the retromer complex, which is essential for maintaining neurons and recycling cellular lipids and proteins, was one important finding. This finding provides insight into the complex processes by which food restriction might protect neurons and increase longevity.

The results give promise in the fight against age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative illnesses by opening up new pathways for possible therapies and lifestyle modifications.