4 ms·

Vegetarian low protein diet could be key to long life

3 points by hachiya 17y ago

hachiya 17y ago
People interested in caloric restriction, optimal nutrition (CRON), should find the latest research reported on in this article very interesting. This article reports that a diet low in the amino acid menthionine is hypothesized to be the key to longevity in humans, rather than calorie restriction. …in a series of new experiments on fruit flies, scientists discovered that simply varying the mix of amino acids in the diet affected lifespan. *Further study revealed that one particular amino acid, methionine, made all the difference.* Although flies and people are very different, the researchers believe the effects are likely to be conserved throughout a wide range of different species including humans… "If it turns it has the same effect on humans, then the message is avoid high levels of methionine." From Wikipedia: High levels of methionine can be found in sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, fish, meats and some other plant seeds. Most fruits and vegetables contain very little of it. Most legumes are also low in methionine.
- evgen 17y ago
  Time to eat more veal and lamb :) The wikipedia article has a somewhat limited selection of example datapoints, but if you want a somewhat larger list I found the site http://www.grubiq.com/ http://www.grubiq.com/ has a little widget that lets you select by nutrient, including methionine, to get a more complete list of foods and amounts.
hachiya 17y ago
In 2005, the below paper was published showing life extension in mice allegedly due to methionine restriction. So the instant article would make it appear that at least some scientists think they are closer to showing a similar mechanism at work in humans. From 2005, "Aging Cell" journal: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15924568 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15924568 Methionine-deficient diet extends mouse lifespan, slows immune and lens aging, alters glucose, T4, IGF-I and insulin levels, and increases hepatocyte MIF levels and stress resistance.

3 points by hachiya 17y ago

People interested in caloric restriction, optimal nutrition (CRON), should find the latest research reported on in this article very interesting. This article reports that a diet low in the amino acid menthionine is hypothesized to be the key to longevity in humans, rather than calorie restriction. …in a series of new experiments on fruit flies, scientists discovered that simply varying the mix of amino acids in the diet affected lifespan. *Further study revealed that one particular amino acid, methionine, made all the difference.* Although flies and people are very different, the researchers believe the effects are likely to be conserved throughout a wide range of different species including humans… "If it turns it has the same effect on humans, then the message is avoid high levels of methionine." From Wikipedia: High levels of methionine can be found in sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, fish, meats and some other plant seeds. Most fruits and vegetables contain very little of it. Most legumes are also low in methionine.

evgen 17y ago
Time to eat more veal and lamb :) The wikipedia article has a somewhat limited selection of example datapoints, but if you want a somewhat larger list I found the site http://www.grubiq.com/ http://www.grubiq.com/ has a little widget that lets you select by nutrient, including methionine, to get a more complete list of foods and amounts.

hachiya 17y ago

In 2005, the below paper was published showing life extension in mice allegedly due to methionine restriction. So the instant article would make it appear that at least some scientists think they are closer to showing a similar mechanism at work in humans. From 2005, "Aging Cell" journal: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15924568 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15924568 Methionine-deficient diet extends mouse lifespan, slows immune and lens aging, alters glucose, T4, IGF-I and insulin levels, and increases hepatocyte MIF levels and stress resistance.