Scientists have found that rhesus monkeys which ate 30% less over the course of their lives lived substantially longer than cont

Scientists have found that rhesus monkeys which ate 30% less over the course of their lives lived substantially longer than controls. Caloric restriction has long been known to increase the life span of animals ranging from fruit flies to mice, but this is the first time it has been demonstrated in primates. At the end of the 20-year study 37% of the controls died from age-related conditions, compared with only 13% of monkeys on caloric restriction (Science 2009, 325, 201). Another ageing study found that the drug rapamycin, an immunosuppressant isolated from soil bacteria on Easter Island, could increase the lifespan of mice fed it in old age by 9-14% (Nature 2009, 460, 392). However, a cautionary note was sounded by another study that found that, in contrast with other studies where organisms are kept in sterile environments, organisms exposed to pathogenic bacteria while on caloric restriction can have their lives shortened. Researchers found that fruit flies on caloric restriction infected with Listeria died faster than controls (PLoS Biology doi:10.1371/journal. pbio.1000150).

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Print Get the Mag Weekly Updates