Restricting This Vitamin in Late Life May Enhance Metabolic Health and Longevity

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Restricting This Vitamin in Late Life May Enhance Metabolic Health and Longevity

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Restricting This Vitamin in Late Life May Enhance Metabolic Health and Longevity

Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is a water-soluble vitamin named for its abundance in leafy greens. It plays a crucial role in cell division and growth, DNA synthesis and repair, and amino acid metabolism. Folate is found in leafy vegetables (such as spinach and broccoli), citrus fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains.

While essential for cellular growth and development, the long-term health impacts of consuming large amounts of folate throughout life remain unclear.

Recently, researchers from Texas A&M University published a study in the journal “Life Science Alliance” titled “Late-life dietary folate restriction reduces biosynthesis without compromising healthspan in mice.”

This study challenges the conventional view, demonstrating that restricting folate intake in elderly mice enhances metabolic flexibility and promotes healthy aging. In contrast, higher folate intake in early life supports the cell division necessary for normal development.

Folate acts as a metabolic cofactor, playing a central role in one-carbon metabolism (FOCM), participating in various biochemical reactions, including purine and thymidine synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and DNA methylation.

In this study, researchers initially found that folate restriction could extend the lifespan of yeast and worms. Therefore, they extended their analysis to mammals, evaluating whether late-life folate restriction could improve healthspan in mice.

Researchers divided elderly mice (52 weeks old) into two groups: one on a regular diet and the other on a folate-restricted diet, continuing until the mice reached 120 weeks of age. They then analyzed the effects of folate restriction on the elderly mice.

The results showed that late-life folate restriction did not negatively impact health or healthspan indicators, such as anemia, survival, or weight loss.

Notably, the metabolic health of mice on the folate-restricted diet improved, enhancing the respiratory exchange ratio—a marker of carbohydrate or fat metabolism.

Specifically, female mice on the folate-restricted diet could switch between carbohydrate and fat metabolism more rapidly during day and night compared to the control diet, indicating improved metabolic flexibility. Male mice on the restricted diet showed higher metabolic rates during their active period.

Additionally, the researchers analyzed IGF-1 levels in the serum of all animals. The insulin/insulin-like growth factor pathway plays a crucial role in growth control and longevity, similar to the mTOR pathway.

They found that female mice on the folate-restricted diet had about 40% lower IGF-1 levels compared to the control group, suggesting that late-life folate restriction might reduce cell growth and anabolic metabolism.

The researchers noted that the optimal folate intake might vary based on age and sex. While higher folate intake is critical for growth and development in early life, lower intake in later life could be more beneficial for metabolic health and longevity.

This study supports the concept of precision nutrition, advocating for personalized dietary recommendations. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms behind this phenomenon and to develop safe and effective therapeutic interventions to promote healthy aging.

Next, the researchers plan to expand their studies to genetically diverse animal models to better simulate human conditions. If future studies confirm these results in humans, it could lead to new dietary recommendations and potential therapies for promoting healthy aging.

Nonetheless, the researchers caution that while their findings suggest elderly individuals might need less folate than currently recommended, they do not advocate for complete restriction, as more research is needed in this field.

In summary, the study indicates that the amount of folate needed for promoting health varies throughout life stages, and reducing folate intake in late life may enhance metabolic health and longevity.

Link to the study

Restricting This Vitamin in Late Life May Enhance Metabolic Health and Longevity

(source:internet, reference only)

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