Does our lifestyle influence our longevity more than genetics? This is the question that researchers from an American bioctech were interested in.
- An American team studied the effects of dietary restrictions and genetics on the longevity of mice.
- According to the results, genetics play a more important role in longevity.
- However, dietary restrictions increased longevity in shorter-lived mice.
In a recent study, a team from Calico Life Sciences, a biotechnology company, was interested in the relationship between genetics, diet and longevity. Researchers investigated whether genetics influence our lifespan more than our lifestyle, and vice versa. This work was published in the journal Nature.
Genetics may play a more important role in longevity
For the purposes of this research, the scientists studied different models of calorie restriction in 960 genetically diverse mice. They were particularly interested in classic experimental models of dietary restriction, i.e. 20% or 40% fewer calories, or intermittent fasting of one or two days. There was also a control group who ate as much as they wanted.
Following their initial findings, the researchers found that genetics had a greater effect on the lifespan of mice compared to any dietary restriction intervention. Indeed, rodents with a long lifespan always lived longer despite changes in diet.
However, calorie restriction models increased longevity for all types of mice, including shorter-lived ones, although they did not catch up with longer-lived subjects.
Alterations in the group with the greatest dietary restrictions
Despite an increase in their lifespan, physical damage was identified in mice that ate 40% fewer calories. The mice notably suffered from a reduction in immune function and a loss of muscle mass. Outside of a laboratory, these two factors could therefore affect the health and longevity of mice due to the presence of predators and germs.
The results of this study should also be taken with a grain of salt, because they have several limitations. In detail, we do not know whether these conclusions could apply to humans. Moreover, restricted groups were fed 20% or 40% less than a control group who ate as much as they wanted. On a human scale, it’s as if it were normal to eat all the days at all-you-can-eat buffets instead of eating several meals a day. These models therefore do not represent the way in which men eat and live.
