Glycerol feeding as effective as calorie restriction

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Adik Ted

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Is this article of any relevance to inhaling glycerin?


May 08, 2009
Glycerol feeding as effective as calorie restriction to extend yeast life span

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In an article published online on May 8, 2009 in PLoS Genetics, researchers from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles report that feeding glycerol to yeast results in the same extension of life span as the well known technique of calorie restriction. Although glycerol has the same amount of calories as table sugar, it is metabolized differently.
Senior author Valter Longo of USC’s Andrus Gerontology Center and his colleagues initially discovered that yeast cells genetically modified to live five times as long as normal yeast have high levels amounts of glycerol-producing genes, and convert glucose and ethanol into glycerol. Additionally, they are more resistant to cellular damage. The current research included an experiment comparing the effects of calorie restriction to the administration of a 0.1 percent and 1.0 percent glycerol solution to yeast cultures, which found that both glycerol solutions were associated with a slightly greater number of yeast surviving to 30 days compared with the calorie restricted yeast.
The study is the first to propose that dietary substitution could replace calorie restriction to enhance life span. "If you add glycerol, or restrict caloric intake, you obtain the same effect," Dr Longo remarked. "It's as good as calorie restriction, yet cells can take it up and utilize it to generate energy or for the synthesis of cellular components."
"This is a fundamental observation in a very simple system, that at least introduces the possibility that you don't have to be calorie-restricted to achieve some of the remarkable protective effects of the hypocaloric diet observed in many organisms, including humans,” he added. “It may be sufficient to substitute the carbon source and possibly other macronutrients with nutrients that do not promote the ‘pro-aging’ changes induced by sugars."
 

Adik Ted

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Feb 25, 2009
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Scotland
Good find. Not sure we can get the benefits from inhaling glycerine vapor, however, but it's a nice thought. I've long practiced modified calorie restriction after learning of its life extension benefits courtesy of the late Dr. Roy Walford and his work.

I think I've unwittingly been a modified calorie restrictor all my life Bob. I've never been that into food and tend to eat pretty much the same thing for years before I switch to something else but I've always ate plenty of fruit and vegetables. I think I undone most of it by smoking 40 roll ups a day for 30 odd years though. Pity the e-cig hadn't come a lot sooner.
 
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