Does diet influence aging? Evidence from animal studies

Effect of long-term moderate red wine consumption in CD1 female mice

In the early 80s, the so-called "French paradox" was proposed, that is, a correlation between wine consumption, a diet rich in fats, and low mortality from coronary disease. Conversely, it is well established that excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of cirrhosis and cancer, but few studies have investigated the effects of moderate alcohol consumption. However, all these conclusions were derived from epidemiological population studies that may be subject to distortions due to multiple factors. Here, the effect of moderate consumption of red wine on health throughout life was examined in a murine model. Different variables were evaluated in groups of female animals that were fed a standard or a fat diet throughout their adult life and given water, or wine or alcohol diluted in water in proportions similar to what is considered moderate consumption in humans. Our results showed few differences in most of the analyzed variables (body weight, liver profile and survival rate) between the different female mouse groups. The most remarkable findings were observed in the fat-diet groups that showed more frequent and severe liver lesions and a lower average ovarian weight. Moreover, moderate and prolonged ethanol consumption significantly affected telomere length only when the diet was high in fat, whereas wine consumption showed no difference compared to water, pointing to a possible predominant role of the compounds, particularly polyphenols present in wine. On the other hand, wine-drinking mice fed a fat diet had more oocytes than those in the ethanol-drinking group. Overall, our data suggest that long-term moderate red wine consumption does not substantially influence the health of female mice.

Effects of Silibinin on Delaying Aging in Drosophila melanogaster

Aging is an inevitable physiological process, but delaying aging has always been an enduring human pursuit. Silibinin (SIL), derived from the seeds of the milk thistle plant, exhibits a broad spectrum of pharmacological properties, including anti-tumor effects, liver protection, inhibition of apoptosis, and alleviation of inflammation. However, whether it has anti-aging effects remains unclear. The SIL dietary supplement to Drosophila melanogaster prolonged lifespan, improved climbing ability, ameliorated age-associated intestinal barrier disruption, enhanced the resistance to oxidative stress, and increased the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Furthermore, RNA-seq results showed that SIL addition significantly upregulated 74 genes and downregulated 50 genes compared with the control. KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes) analysis demonstrated that these differentially expressed genes were primarily involved in the Toll signaling pathway and endoplasmic reticulum proteins processing, six among which, including IM2, IM3, Drsl3, CG7556, GCS1, and TRAM, were particularly involved in the regulation by SIL supplementation. The results indicate that SIL exhibits anti-aging effects by enhancing antioxidant capacity and regulating aging-related signaling pathways. Therefore, SIL shows a potential application in anti-aging dietary regimens.

Treating Metabolic Dysregulation and Senescence by Caloric Restriction: Killing Two Birds with One Stone?

Cellular senescence is a state of permanent cell cycle arrest accompanied by metabolic activity and characteristic phenotypic changes. This process is crucial for developing age-related diseases, where excessive calorie intake accelerates metabolic dysfunction and aging. Overnutrition disturbs key metabolic pathways, including insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS), the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and AMP-activated protein kinase. The dysregulation of these pathways contributes to insulin resistance, impaired autophagy, exacerbated oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction, further enhancing cellular senescence and systemic metabolic derangements. On the other hand, dysfunctional endothelial cells and adipocytes contribute to systemic inflammation, reduced nitric oxide production, and altered lipid metabolism. Numerous factors, including extracellular vesicles, mediate pathological communication between the vascular system and adipose tissue, amplifying metabolic imbalances. Meanwhile, caloric restriction (CR) emerges as a potent intervention to counteract overnutrition effects, improve mitochondrial function, reduce oxidative stress, and restore metabolic balance. CR modulates pathways such as IIS, mTOR, and sirtuins, enhancing glucose and lipid metabolism, reducing inflammation, and promoting autophagy. CR can extend the health span and mitigate age-related diseases by delaying cellular senescence and improving healthy endothelial-adipocyte interactions. This review highlights the crosstalk between endothelial cells and adipocytes, emphasizing CR potential in counteracting overnutrition-induced senescence and restoring vascular homeostasis.

The Role of Genetic Variation in Shaping Phenotypic Responses to Diet in Aging Drosophila melanogaster

Nutrition plays a central role in healthy living, however, extensive variability in individual responses to dietary interventions complicates our understanding of its effects. Here we present a comprehensive study utilizing the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP), investigating how genetic variation influences responses to diet and aging. Quantitative genetic analyses of the impact of dietary restriction on lifespan, locomotor activity, dry weight, and heat knockdown time were performed. Locomotor activity, dry weight and heat knockdown time were measured on the same individual flies. We found significant genotype-by-diet interaction (GDI) and genotype-by-age interaction (GAI) for all traits. Therefore, environmental factors play a crucial role in shaping trait variation at different ages and diets, and/or distinct genetic variation influences these traits at different ages and diets. Our genome wide association study also identified a quantitative trait locus for age-dependent dietary response. The observed GDI and GAI indicates that susceptibility to environmental influences changes as organisms age, which could have significant implications for dietary recommendations and interventions aimed at promoting healthy aging in humans. The identification of associations between DNA sequence variation and age-dependent dietary responses opens new avenues for research into the genetic mechanisms underlying these interactions.

Phloroglucinol ameliorated methylglyoxal induced harmful effects in rats

Glycation is among the underlying mechanisms attributed to ageing and associated morbidities. There is no drug available to combat this deleterious phenomenon. The present study aimed to explore phloroglucinol (PHL) for its anti-glycation potential at preclinical level. The rats were treated with methylglyoxal (MGO, 17.25 mg/kg, i.p. for 14 days) to induce glvcative stress. The treatment groups received additional administration of test drug (PHL; 0.25mg/kg, 0.5mg/kg, and 1mg/kg) or standard aminoguanidine (AG, 50 mg/kg) or saline (control, 5ml/kg). During 14 days, the weight and food intake was noted. Afterwards, the cognitive function was evaluated using Morris Water Maze (MWM) while hepatic and renal functions were assessed through liver function test (bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, SGPT, and SGOT) and creatinine respectively, using chemical analyzer. The carboxymethyllysine (CML) levels were quantified in the blood using ELISA technique. Histopathological study was performed on the brain, liver, and kidney using H&E staining. Additionally, the qPCR was used to quantify the expression of TNF-α, RAGE and BACE-1 (brain), RAGE, TNF-α, and glyoxalase-I (liver) and RAGE, TNF-α, and VEGF (kidney), while glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used as a reference housekeeping gene. The data regarding weight and food intake did not reveal significant alterations. In MWM, the MGO treatment caused significant increase in the time to reach target quadrant, while decrease in the time spent in target quadrant and number of crossings through platform position. All these effects were inhibited by both AG and PHL. The navigation maps also exhibit that the retention of spatial memory. Additionally, the MGO-induced alteration in hepatic and renal function indicators was ameliorated by both AG and PHL treatments. The plasma CML levels were found to be elevated following MGO treatment, while the concomitant administration of AG and PHL has resisted this raise. Histopathological assessment revealed no specific pathology in liver kidney and brain tissues. The qPCR data revealed enhanced expression of all genes, especially TNF-α and BACE, which were found to be reduced following both AG and PHL treatments. PHL prevented the brain, hepatic, and renal impairments caused by MGO induced glycative stress. Hence, the PHL, a clinically used anti-spasmodic drug, presents itself as a potential candidate to be repurposed as anti-glycation drug.

Dietary diversity contributes to delay biological aging

Aims

As aging is a major risk factor for chronic diseases, strategies to promote healthy aging are essential. Dietary diversity has been reported to be beneficial for human health, however, the role in the biological aging process remains underexplored. Our aim was to analyse the potential link between diet diversity and aging.

Methods

Twenty-two thousand six hundred participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were included in this study. Dietary diversity was assessed by the dietary diversity score (DDS), which aggregated data on participants' self-reported dietary categories for the 5 major food groups (18 subgroups) over 2 rounds. Biological age was determined using the phenotypic age, with the residual between biological age and chronological age, phenotypic age acceleration, representing biological aging advance. Weighted multivariate regressions analysis were used to examine the relationship between DDS and phenotypic age acceleration. Sensitivity, subgroup interaction and mediation analyses were employed for further analysis.

Results

Higher DDS was consistently associated with slower phenotypic age acceleration (β < 0, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed that the inverse relationship persisted across categories, with minimal interaction effects. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of results. The oxidative stress indicator glutamyltransferase partially mediated the relationship between DDS and aging [4.9% (3.6, 6.0%), p < 0.001].

Conclusion

Dietary diversity is associated with a slower rate of biological aging, which may be due in part to reduced oxidative stress. These findings underscore the potential of a rich, broad-spectrum diet to promote healthy aging and reduce the burden of age-related diseases.

Molecular mechanisms of aging and anti-aging strategies

Aging is a complex and multifaceted process involving a variety of interrelated molecular mechanisms and cellular systems. Phenotypically, the biological aging process is accompanied by a gradual loss of cellular function and the systemic deterioration of multiple tissues, resulting in susceptibility to aging-related diseases. Emerging evidence suggests that aging is closely associated with telomere attrition, DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, loss of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels, impaired macro-autophagy, stem cell exhaustion, inflammation, loss of protein balance, deregulated nutrient sensing, altered intercellular communication, and dysbiosis. These age-related changes may be alleviated by intervention strategies, such as calorie restriction, improved sleep quality, enhanced physical activity, and targeted longevity genes. In this review, we summarise the key historical progress in the exploration of important causes of aging and anti-aging strategies in recent decades, which provides a basis for further understanding of the reversibility of aging phenotypes, the application prospect of synthetic biotechnology in anti-aging therapy is also prospected.

The Relationship between Dietary Macronutrient Composition and Telomere Length Among US Adults

The role of dietary macronutrients and energy intake in the aging process has been well-established. However, previous research has mainly focused on the association between leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and individual macronutrients, while the effects of macronutrient composition on LTL remain unclear. This cross-sectional analysis involved 4130 US adults (44.8 ± 17.0 years; 51% female) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey during 1999-2002. A single 24-h dietary recall is used to collect dietary data. The relationship between dietary macronutrient composition and LTL is examined using three-dimensional generalized additive models. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, education, physical activity, BMI, and dietary quality, a three-dimensional association of macronutrient composition with LTL (P = 0.02) is revealed. Diets lower in protein (5-10%), higher in carbohydrates (75%), and lower in fat (15-20%) are associated with the longest LTL corresponding to 7.7 years of slower biological aging. Diets lowest in protein (5%) and carbohydrate (40%), while highest in dietary fat (55%) are associated with the shortest LTL, corresponding to accelerated biological aging of 4.4 years. The associations appeared magnified with higher energy intake. These findings support a complex relationship between dietary macronutrients and biological aging independent of diet quality.

Educational Mobility, Pace of Aging, and Lifespan Among Participants in the Framingham Heart Study

Importance

People who complete more education live longer lives with better health. New evidence suggests that these benefits operate through a slowed pace of biological aging. If so, measurements of the pace of biological aging could offer intermediate end points for studies of how interventions to promote education will affect healthy longevity.

Objective

To test the hypothesis that upward educational mobility is associated with a slower pace of biological aging and increased longevity.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This prospective cohort study analyzed data from 3 generations of participants in the Framingham Heart Study: (1) the original cohort, enrolled beginning in 1948; (2) the Offspring cohort, enrolled beginning in 1971; and (3) the Gen3 cohort, enrolled beginning in 2002. A 3-generation database was constructed to quantify intergenerational educational mobility. Mobility data were linked with blood DNA-methylation data collected from the Offspring cohort in 2005 to 2008 (n = 1652) and the Gen3 cohort in 2009 to 2011 (n = 1449). Follow-up is ongoing. Data analysis was conducted from June 2022 to November 2023 using data obtained from the National Institutes of Health database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP).

Exposure

Educational mobility was measured by comparing participants' educational outcomes with those of their parents.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The pace of biological aging was measured from whole-blood DNA-methylation data using the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock. For comparison purposes, the analysis was repeated using 4 other epigenetic clocks. Survival follow-up was conducted through 2019.

Results

This study analyzed data from 3101 participants from the Framingham Heart Study; 1652 were in the Offspring cohort (mean [SD] age, 65.57 [9.22] years; 764 [46.2%] male) and 1449 were in the Gen3 cohort (mean [SD] age, 45.38 [7.83] years; 691 [47.7%] male). Participants who were upwardly mobile in educational terms tended to have slower pace of aging in later life (r = -0.18 [95% CI, -0.23 to -0.13]; P < .001). This pattern of association was similar across generations and held in within-family sibling comparisons. There were 402 Offspring cohort participants who died over the follow-up period. Upward educational mobility was associated with lower mortality risk (hazard ratio, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.81 to 0.98]; P = .01). Slower pace of aging accounted for approximately half of this association.

Conclusions and Relevance

This cohort study's findings support the hypothesis that interventions to promote educational attainment may slow the pace of biological aging and promote longevity. Epigenetic clocks have potential as near-term outcome measures of intervention effects on healthy aging. Experimental evidence is needed to confirm findings.

Harnessing Genetics to Extend Lifespan and Healthspan: Current Progress and Future Directions

Aging is inevitable, but the lifespan (duration of life) and healthspan (healthy aging) vary greatly among individuals and across species. Unlocking the secrets behind these differences has captivated scientific curiosity for ages. This review presents relevant recent advances in genetics and cell biology that are shedding new light by untangling how subtle changes in conserved genes, pathways, and epigenetic factors influence organismal senescence and associated declines. Biogerontology is a complex and rapidly growing field aimed at elucidating genetic modifications that extend lifespan and healthspan. This review explores gerontogenes, genes influencing lifespan and healthspan across species. Though subtle differences exist, long-lived individuals such as centenarians demonstrate extended healthspans, and numerous studies confirm the heritability of longevity/healthspan genes. Importantly, genes and gerontogenes are directly and indirectly involved in DNA repair, insulin/IGF-1 and mTOR signaling pathways, long non-coding RNAs, sirtuins, and heat shock proteins. The complex interactions between genetics and epigenetics are teased apart. While more research into optimizing healthspan is needed, conserved gerontogenes offer synergistic potential to forestall aging and age-related diseases. Understanding complex longevity genetics brings closer the goal of extending not only lifespan but quality years of life. The primary aim of human Biogerontology is to enhance lifespan and healthspan, but the question remains: are current genetic modifications effectively promoting healthy aging? This article collates the advancements in gerontogenes that enhance lifespan and improve healthspan alongside their potential challenges.

Short-term periodic restricted feeding elicits metabolome-microbiome signatures with sex dimorphic persistence in primate intervention

Dietary restriction has shown benefits in physiological, metabolic, and molecular signatures associated with aging but is a difficult lifestyle to maintain for most individuals. In mice, a less restrictive diet that allows for cyclical periods of reduced calories mitigates aging phenotypes, yet the effects of such an intervention in a genetically heterogenous, higher-order mammal has not been examined. Here, using middle-aged rhesus macaques matched for age and sex, we show that a regimen of 4 days of low-calorie intake followed by 10 days of ad libitum feeding (4:10 diet) performed in repeating cycles over 12 weeks led to significant loss of weight and fat percentage, despite the free access to food for most of the study duration. We show the 4-day restriction period is sufficient to drive alterations to the serum metabolome characterized by substantial differences in lipid classes. These phenotypes were paralleled by changes in the gut microbiome of restricted monkeys that highlight the involvement of a microbiome-metabolome axis. This regimen shows promising phenotypes, with some sex-dimorphic responses, including residual memory of the diet. As many calorie restriction interventions are difficult to sustain, we propose that this short-term diet may be easier to adhere to and have benefits directly relevant to human aging.

Reduced liver damage and fibrosis with combined SCD Probiotics and intermittent fasting in aged rat

This study aimed to examine the impact of SCD Probiotics supplementation on liver biomolecule content and histological changes during a 30-day intermittent fasting (IF) program in 24-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats underwent 18-h daily fasting and received 1 × 108 CFU of SCD Probiotics daily. Liver tissue biomolecules were analysed using FTIR Spectroscopy, LDA, and SVM techniques, while histopathological evaluations used Haematoxylin and eosin and Masson trichrome-stained tissues. Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis. Gross alterations in the quantity of biomolecules were observed with individual or combined treatments. LDA and SVM analyses demonstrated a high accuracy in differentiating control and treated groups. The combination treatments led to the most significant reduction in cholesterol ester (1740 cm-1 ) and improved protein phosphorylation (A1239 /A2955 and A1080 /A1545 ) and carbonylation (A1740 /A1545 ). Individually, IF and SCD Probiotics were more effective in enhancing membrane dynamics (Bw2922 /Bw2955 ). In treated groups, histological evaluations showed decreased hepatocyte degeneration, lymphocyticinfiltration, steatosis and fibrosis. Serum ALP, LDH and albumin levels significantly increased in the SCD Probiotics and combined treatment groups. This study offers valuable insights into the potential mechanisms behind the beneficial effects of IF and SCD Probiotics on liver biomolecule content, contributing to the development of personalized nutrition and health strategies.

To promote healthy aging, focus on the environment

To build health equity for an aging world marked by dramatic disparities in healthy lifespan between countries, regions and population groups, research at the intersections of biology, toxicology and the social and behavioral sciences points the way: to promote healthy aging, focus on the environment. In this Perspective, we suggest that ideas and tools from the emerging field of geroscience offer opportunities to advance the environmental science of aging. Specifically, the capacity to measure the pace and progress of biological processes of aging within individuals from relatively young ages makes it possible to study how changing environments can change aging trajectories from early in life, in time to prevent or delay aging-related disease and disability and build aging health equity.

Role of diet and exercise in aging, Alzheimer's disease, and other chronic diseases

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by memory loss and multiple cognitive impairments. Genetic mutations cause a small proportion (1-2%) of early-onset AD, with mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PS1) and presenilin 2 (PS2). Major contributing factors of late-onset AD are ApoE4 genotype, traumatic brain injury, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular conditions, in addition to lifestyle factors, such as unhealthy diet and lack of physical exercise. Disease progression can be delayed and/or prevented to a greater extent by adopting healthy lifestyle with balanced and antioxidant enriched diet and daily exercise. The interaction and interplay of diet, exercise, age, and pharmacological interventions holds a crucial role in the progression, pathogenesis and management of AD and its comorbidities, including diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cardiovascular conditions. Antioxidant enriched diet contributes to brain health, glucose control, weight management, and cardiovascular well-being. Regular exercise removes toxins including free radicals and enhances insulin sensitivity, and supports cardiovascular function. In the current article, we discussed, the role of diet, and exercise in aging, AD and other conditions including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular conditions. This article also highlights the impact of medication, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, and pharmacological interventions. These aspects were discussed in different races and ethnic groups in Texas, and the US.

Serum Anti-Aging Protein α-Klotho Mediates the Association between Diet Quality and Kidney Function

Adherence to healthy dietary patterns is associated with a reduced risk of kidney dysfunction. Nevertheless, the age-related mechanisms that underpin the relationship between diet and kidney function remain undetermined. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of serum α-Klotho, an anti-aging protein, in the link between a healthy diet and kidney function. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a cohort of 12,817 individuals aged between 40 and 79 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2016. For each participant, the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) score was calculated as a measure of a healthy dietary pattern. Creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was used to assess kidney function. Multivariable regression models were used to analyze the association between the standardized HEI-2015 score and eGFR after adjusting for potential confounders. Causal mediation analysis was performed to assess whether serum α-Klotho influenced this association. The mean (±SD) eGFR of all individuals was 86.8 ± 19.8 mL/min per 1.73 m2. A high standardized HEI-2015 score was associated with a high eGFR (β [95% CI], 0.94 [0.64-1.23]; p < 0.001). The mediation analysis revealed that serum α-Klotho accounted for 5.6-10.5% of the association of standardized overall HEI-2015 score, total fruits, whole fruits, greens and beans, and whole grain with eGFR in the NHANES. According to the results from the subgroup analysis, serum α-Klotho exerted a mediating effect in the participants aged 60-79 years and in males. A healthy diet may promote kidney function by up-regulating serum anti-aging α-Klotho. This novel pathway suggests important implications for dietary recommendations and kidney health.

Stalking the link between reproduction and aging: After decades of research, it still remains a mystery whether and how reproduction drives the process of aging: After decades of research, it still remains a mystery whether and how reproduction drives the process of aging

The hypothesis that aging and number of offspring are linked with each other has attracted much attention and research, but evidence for it remains elusive.

Targeting the liver in dementia and cognitive impairment: Dietary macronutrients and diabetic therapeutics

Many people living with dementia and cognitive impairment have dysfunctional mitochondrial and insulin-glucose metabolism resembling type 2 diabetes mellitus and old age. Evidence from human trials shows that nutritional interventions and anti-diabetic medicines that target nutrient-sensing pathways overcome these deficits in glucose and energy metabolism and can improve cognition and/or reduce symptoms of dementia. The liver is the main organ that mediates the systemic effects of diets and many diabetic medicines; therefore, it is an intermediate target for such dementia interventions. A challenge is the efficacy of these treatments in older age. Solutions include the targeted hepatic delivery of diabetic medicines using nanotechnologies and titration of macronutrients to optimize hepatic energy metabolism.

New horizons in life extension, healthspan extension and exceptional longevity

Many common chronic diseases and syndromes are ageing-related. This raises the prospect that therapeutic agents that target the biological changes of ageing will prevent or delay multiple diseases with a single therapy. Gerotherapeutic drugs are those that target pathways involved in ageing, with the aims of reducing the burden of ageing-related diseases and increasing lifespan and healthspan. The approach to discovering gerotherapeutic drugs is similar to that used to discover drugs for diseases. This includes screening for novel compounds that act on receptors or pathways that influence ageing or repurposing of drugs currently available for other indications. A novel approach involves studying populations with exceptional longevity, in order to identify genes variants linked with longer lifespan and could be targeted by drugs. Metformin, rapamycin and precursors of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide are amongst the frontrunners of gerotherapeutics that are moving into human clinical trials to evaluate their effects on ageing. There are also increasing numbers of potential gerotherapeutic drugs in the pipeline or being studied in animal models. A key hurdle is designing clinical trials that are both feasible and can provide sufficient clinical evidence to support licencing and marketing of gerotherapeutic drugs.