Study Tracks Why Eating Less Extends Life

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The following was in the health section of the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/01/health/01EAT.html

Study Tracks Why Eating Less Extends Life

By REUTERS

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 — Scientists say they have made progress in

understanding why eating less leads to longer life.

Studies of yeast, rodents and other organisms found that drastically cuttin=

g

calories extended life, and researchers are trying to find out how that

happens. They hope to develop drugs to mimic the effect in humans.

In a report in the current issue of the journal Science, the researchers sa=

id

studies of fruit flies showed that an enzyme called Rpd3 histone deacetylas=

e

is probably vital.

" If you decrease the level of enzyme without eating less, you still get lif=

e span

extension, " said el, a scientist at Yale and the senior author=

of

the study.

In the study, flies with genetic mutations that brought lower levels of the=

enzyme lived significantly longer than normal. With a low-calorie diet as w=

ell,

they lived 41 percent longer.

Dr. el cautioned that a drug to safely produce the effect in people ma=

y

be years away.

One drug, phenylbutyrate, is thought to lower the Rpd3 enzyme, Dr. el =

said. An earlier study showed that it extended the lives of fruit flies.

Blanka Rogina and Helfand of the University of Connecticut Health

Center helped in the study.