Scientists from the University of California, USA, have found that a low-calorie diet helps maintain the biological clock at a later age and prevents aging. The researchers' article was published in the journal Cell. The press release is available on the EurekAlert website!
In the experiments, specialists used 6-month-old and 18-month-old mice, from which liver tissue samples were taken. It turned out that the mechanism responsible for turning off and activating the genes involved in food assimilation, depending on the time of day, showed noticeable changes with age.
However, in that group of rodents, whose diet was 30 percent less caloric for six months, the biological clock "rejuvenated". According to scientists, this slowed down the process of physiological aging. A similar mechanism most likely exists in humans.
In February 2017, the journal Nature Communications published an article that reported the discovery of 25 genes associated with circadian rhythms, with their activity increasing in adulthood. Scientists saw the reason for this in their protective function, which is manifested in slowing down the aging process.