Mom did know best: How basic healthy living practices may contribute to longevity
How do you live a long, healthy life? There’s no magic formula, but you can increase your odds by listening to what your mom probably told you years ago. Exercise. Eat right. Oh, and having the right genes from mom and dad helps a lot too.
What goes into aging and longevity may be extremely complicated, but Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston led by Morris White have found an interesting piece of the puzzle. As reported in Science on July 20, 2007, Morris’s group followed up on studies that indicate invertebrates such as fruit flies live longer with reduced insulin-like signaling by using JAX® Mice to see if a similar effect could be seen in a mammalian system. So it can. With reduced brain levels of IRS2, a protein that helps to control insulin-like signaling, mice lived 18% longer and were more active than normal mice despite being overweight and having high levels of circulating insulin. While the pathway may yield the potential for drug targets that reduce IRS2 activity in the brain, the results help explain the similar positive effects of healthy diet and exercise. They help maintain lower levels of insulin throughout the body, including the brain, helping to explain how mom was right on target about ways to enhance longevity.
