Why fasting can lead to a longer lifespan

Why fasting can lead to a longer lifespan

By MedicalXpress

Post on April 17, 2027

Restricting calories has long been recognized as a powerful way to live longer, with periods of intermittent fasting proving more effective than a steady diet. However, the mechanism behind this phenomenon has been unclear. Research led by UT Southwestern Medical Center scientists and published in Nature Communications suggests it’s not the fast itself that extends life, but how the body metabolically pivots during refeeding after fasting. Although the findings were made in Caenorhabditis elegans, a roundworm often used as a lab model, they could eventually lead to new ways to boost health in humans.

Refocusing attention on refeeding

“Our discoveries shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin—the refeeding phase. Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” said study leader Peter Douglas, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern.

Dr. Douglas co-led the study with Lexus Tatge, Ph.D., a former member of the Douglas Lab.

When organisms undergo fasting, their cells quickly burn through meager glucose reserves and shift to breaking down stored lipids, a potent source of energy. This process, called catabolism, is mediated by a protein known as NHR-49, which activates when glucose runs low and prompts cells to digest lipids.

Refeeding causes NHR-49 to shut down, preventing cells from breaking down lipids and allowing them to rebuild their reserves.

NHR-49’s double duty in metabolism

In 2022, Dr. Douglas and his colleagues published a study showing that NHR-49 also serves as a sensor for intracellular lipid stores, activating a mechanism that prevents cellular starvation when lipid supplies deplete.

Dr. Douglas and colleagues suspected that NHR-49’s activity could be key to fasting’s life-extending benefits. To test this idea, the team used genetic engineering to delete NHR-49 in C. elegans, then fasted the worms for 24 hours.

Surprisingly, this did not diminish life extension. Fasting still boosted the altered worms’ average lifespan by about 41% and made older worms behave more youthfully, reflected in more movement, much like fasting did in C. elegans with intact NHR-49.

On a hunch, the researchers decided to examine the flip side of NHR-49 activation: What happened when the worms were refed after fasting and NHR-49 shut off?

To do this, they needed to better understand how NHR-49 naturally becomes inactivated.

The enzyme switch that turns NHR-49 off

Experiments led by Vincent Tagliabracci, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Molecular Biology at UTSW and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Victor Lopez, Ph.D., a postdoctoral researcher in the Tagliabracci Lab, revealed that this occurs when an enzyme known as protein kinase CK1 alpha 1 (KIN-19) chemically modifies NHR-49 through a process called phosphorylation.

When Dr. Douglas and his colleagues tampered with this system to keep NHR-49 turned on—which maintained lipid breakdown even when C. elegans was refed—it eliminated any life extension from fasting.

What this could mean for human aging

Together, Dr. Douglas said, these results suggest that being able to efficiently deactivate NHR-49 after fasting is a key factor in caloric restriction’s ability to lengthen lifespan. Finding ways to manipulate this system could eventually help people live longer without the need to fast.

“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” Dr. Douglas said. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”

MedicalXpress

• Source

Transcrito por  http://achama.biz.ly  com agradecimentos a:

• http://achama.biz.ly/

  

---

 

Arquivos:

• xx    ~   Apoio

Reviving Hidden Alternative C***** Cures

Credit vecteezy.com/

Reviving Hidden Alternative C***** Cures

Censored, please click  on the link below:

http://violetflame.biz.ly/cgi-bin/blog/view_post/1229235

Site is secure for me from 2001.

1. http://violetflame.biz.ly/ ~ Backup and summary of daily posts
2. https://purple-rays.blogspot.com/ ~ Channeled Messages; Spirituality; +
3. https://purpelligh.blogspot.com/ ~ Inspiration; Insights; Spirituality; +
4. https://violet-rays.blogspot.com/ ~ Natural Health; Healing; Intuition; +
5. https://violet--flame.blogspot.com/ ~ Geopolitics; Leaks; Whistleblowers; +*

* replacing rayviolet11.blogspot.com/** blocked on 2025/07/23 due post  "RussiaGate, PedoGate, and Panic in D.C. - All Playing Now!", see back up:  http://violetflame.biz.ly/cgi-bin/blog/view_post/1222363 (no problems of security from 2005)

**Reactivated in December 2025

My notes: 

• God the Source is unconditional love, not a zealous god of [some] dogmatic religions.
• All articles are the responsibility of the respective authors.
• My personal opinion: Nobody is more Anti-Semite then the Zionists.

7 Foods and Drinks High in Antioxidants That Aren't Green Tea

Foods like berries, nuts, seeds, coffee, and kale contain more antioxidants than green tea.

fcafotodigital / Getty Images

7 Foods and Drinks High in Antioxidants That Aren't Green Tea

By Merve Ceylan

Post April 4, 2026

• Berries, kale, cocoa, spices, seeds, nuts, and coffee can provide antioxidant levels equal to or higher than those of green tea.
• Polyphenols and vitamins in these foods help protect cells, reduce inflammation, and lower disease risk.
• Eating a variety of whole, minimally processed foods is the best way to increase antioxidant intake.

Green tea is full of antioxidants, which are compounds that help protect your cells from damage and can lower your risk for disease. Green tea’s antioxidant capacity is about 570-2,620 micromoles per 100 milliliters.1 Many foods contain antioxidants, some with an even higher antioxidant capacity than green tea.

1. Berries

Berries get their blue and purple hues from antioxidant plant pigments called anthocyanins. 

rez-art / Getty Images

Antioxidants include nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, the mineral selenium, and compounds called polyphenols.

Berries are a great source of antioxidants. They can be rich in vitamin C, especially blackcurrants and sea buckthorn berries.2 Eating a cup of mixed berries provides 26 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, or 29% of the Daily Value (DV).3

Berries are also rich in anthocyanins, a type of polyphenol and plant pigment. These compounds give berries red, purple, and blue colors.2

Most berries have an antioxidant capacity of about 2,100 to over 15,000 micromoles (μmol) per 100 grams (g). Berries with the highest antioxidant capacity include:412

• Aronia berries
• Blackberries
• Blackcurrants
• Black raspberry
• Cranberries
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Red raspberry

Health Benefits of Polyphenols

Polyphenols are mostly found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, spices, and herbs. Scientists have discovered more than 8,000 types of polyphenols so far. Many polyphenols have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help prevent cell damage, inflammation, and diseases.5

A 2023 study showed that eating foods high in polyphenols is linked to a 20% lower risk of dying from any cause. It is also linked with a 40% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.6

2. Kale

Kale is rich in vitamins with antioxidant properties, like vitamins A and C.

janecocoa / Getty Images

Vegetables are a great source of antioxidants. One study measured the antioxidant capacity of 303 vegetables and vegetable products. On average, vegetables had about 800 micromoles per 100 grams. However, a few vegetables had much more while some had less.1

The study found that curly kale has an antioxidant capacity of about 2,800 micromoles per 100 grams.1 Kale is rich in vitamins A and C and contains polyphenols.7

Other vegetables with high antioxidant capacity include artichokes, red chili peppers, and green chili peppers.1

3. Cocoa 

Cocoa is a good source of antioxidants that help lower inflammation and prevent disease.

HUIZENG HU / Getty Images

Cocoa powder has about 636 micromoles of antioxidant capacity per gram. So, chocolate made with more cocoa has higher antioxidant capacity.8

Eating antioxidant-rich foods may help reduce inflammation and prevent disease. A 2023 study found that eating 10 grams of cocoa high in polyphenols helped reduce inflammation linked to heart health.9 Another 2024 study found that people who ate cocoa regularly had lower blood cholesterol.10

4. Spices

Spices and herbs like clove, cinnamon, thyme, sage, and saffron have strong antioxidant properties.

Liudmila Chernetska / Getty Images

Spices come from the seeds, bark, roots, or leaves of plants. These parts of plants are naturally high in polyphenols.

A 2024 study looked at 425 spices and herbs. Clove had the highest antioxidant capacity, followed by peppermint, allspice, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, saffron, and tarragon. Their antioxidant capacity ranged from 440 to 2,770 micromoles per gram.10

5. Seeds

Seeds are an excellent source of antioxidants, including sunflower, sesame, and hemp seeds.

Tatiana Sidorova / Getty Images

Seeds can contain antioxidant nutrients like vitamins A and E. They are also packed with polyphenols.

A 2020 study looked at the antioxidant capacity of five different seeds. Sunflower seeds had the highest antioxidant capacity, followed by flaxseeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and hemp seeds.11

Here is the antioxidant content of those seeds:11

• Sunflower seed: 450 µmol/g
• Flaxseed: 210 µmol/g
• Sesame seed: 80 µmol/g
• Poppy seed: 50 µmol/g
• Hempseed: 30 µmol/g

A study showed that germinating seeds, like chia seeds, improved their antioxidant capacity. In chia seeds, their capacity increased by about 87-105% after four days of germination.12

6. Nuts

Nuts are rich in vitamins and compounds with powerful antioxidant effects.

FotografiaBasica / Getty Images

Nuts are rich in antioxidant nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. A 2025 study showed that eating 60 grams or more of almonds daily may reduce blood markers of oxidative stress (a state of cell damage that can lead to disease). It may also increase antioxidant enzyme activity, which helps protect cells.13

Other studies show that regularly eating nuts may lower the risk of dying from any cause.14

Here are the antioxidant capacities of some nuts:1

• Walnuts: 219 µmol/g
  
• Pecans: 85 µmol/g
  
• Chestnuts: 57 µmol/g

Some nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, and Brazil nuts, are especially rich in vitamin E. Brazil nuts are also particularly high in selenium.15

7. Coffee

HUIZENG HU / Getty Images

Coffee is one of the drinks with the most antioxidants. It has about 75 to 172 micromoles of antioxidant capacity per gram of ground coffee.16

The amount of antioxidants in coffee can change depending on the type of coffee bean, how it is roasted, and how it is brewed.

A 2020 study found that Aeropress coffee had the highest antioxidant capacity. Drip coffee came next, followed by pour-over, espresso, and French press.17

Exact Antioxidant Levels in Foods Are Hard To Tell

It is hard to know exactly how many antioxidants are in a food. The amount can change depending on how the food is grown, stored, or cooked. Foods also have many different kinds of antioxidants, which makes measuring them tricky.1

There are also different ways to test antioxidant levels. For example, the same food can show different results depending on the method used.1

How To Get More Antioxidants in Your Diet

Here are some ways to add more antioxidants to your diet:

• Eat a variety of foods: Different foods contain different types of polyphenols, each with unique health benefits. Include a variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds in your meals.
• Use herbs and spices: Add different herbs and spices to your meals or drinks to increase antioxidant intake. You can make a golden latte with turmeric, sprinkle cinnamon on oatmeal, add cloves to tea, or use ginger in smoothies or stir-fries.
• Drink antioxidant-rich beverages: Drinks like tea, coffee, and cocoa are great sources of antioxidants. Consume them in moderation, as too much caffeine can cause side effects.
• Minimize ultra-processed foods: Whole, minimally processed foods usually contain more antioxidants than highly processed options.

Merve Ceylan

Edited by 

Hannah Harper

Source: https://www.health.com/foods-and-drinks-with-more-antioxidants-than-green-tea-11937232

Compiled by http://violetflame.biz.ly from: 

• https://eraoflight.com/2026/04/02/7-foods-and-drinks-high-in-antioxidants-that-arent-green-tea/