Can Reducing Calories Slow Down the Aging of the Brain?

 As we get older, our bodies, including our brains, naturally age. This can affect tasks like memory and learning. Research from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging found that living a healthy lifestyle, including eating right, can slow brain aging. They also discovered that restricting food intake may protect the brain from aging. A specific gene, enhanced by calorie restriction, was identified, helping with healthy brain aging.

Dr. Lisa Ellerby, a professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, explored how calorie restriction affects brain aging. They studied this because limiting calories is a significant way to intervene in the aging process, especially for the vulnerable brain. Dr. Ellerby mentioned that many people practice caloric restriction, like intermittent fasting, and this research is a first step in understanding its impact on brain aging. The study suggests that dietary restriction may protect the brain from inflammation and degeneration. Dr. Ellerby emphasized the importance of slowing aging to prevent neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, where effective treatments are currently lacking.