Reducing your calorie intake may be beneficial to your health by reducing the protein production that affects aging, a study has found.
The study, led by Dr Bisch and Deep Dixit at the Yale Center for Aging Research, showed that moderate calorie restriction suppresses inflammation by reducing the production of a protein called Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC).
In this study, data from the National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical trial ‘Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE)’ were further analyzed. In this experiment, some participants cut their caloric intake by 14% over two years, while others maintained their intake as usual.
When the researchers looked at genetic changes in the participants’ adipose tissue following 1 and 2 years, they found that participants who cut calories had reduced amounts of a protein called SPARC, which is associated with obesity, diabetes and inflammation. Inflammation plays a very large role in aging-related decline.
To further understand the extent to which SPARC contributes to inflammation, the researchers investigated the effects of this protein on immune cells and health in mice. The results showed that SPARC causes inflammation by converting anti-inflammatory immune cells called macrophages into a pro-inflammatory state. Reducing SPARC production by adipocytes in mice reduced inflammation, improved metabolism, and increased health span.
The results of this study were published in the medical journal Immunity in the field of immunology under the title ‘The matricellular protein SPARC induces inflammatory interferon-response in macrophages during aging’.
Reporter Jeong Hee-eun [email protected]
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