American scientists have discovered a link between calorie restriction and genetic self-regulation of life expectancy. The research is published in Nature Communications, according to Temple University (USA).
Experts have shown that the rate of epigenetic changes during age for a particular species is directly related to its lifespan. The longer the average representative of a particular taxon lives, the slower such changes occur.
For example, among primates, epigenetic changes occur most slowly in humans, however, if we compare monkeys and rodents, then in the latter they accumulate faster.
Scientists have also found that fasting or caloric restriction of food intake slows down epigenetic changes and, as a result, increases life expectancy.
Scientists came to similar conclusions by analyzing epigenetic drift (variations in the DNA methylation profile) using blood samples from mice, humans, and monkeys of different ages.
Epigenetic changes involve changes in DNA that do not affect the nucleotide sequence. One of the common changes is methylation - the attachment of a methyl group to a nucleic acid. With age, the number of such changes increases.