One thing is certain based on several scientific studies: the legendary fountain of youth likely contains minimal to no carbohydrates. Researchers have been actively exploring and attempting to establish a connection between aging and carbohydrate consumption. It is possible that the secret to slowing the aging process lies in restricting the intake of carbohydrate-rich foods.
Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients, alongside fats and proteins. hey are a common source of energy in living organisms. Known examples of carbohydrates include sugar, starch, and cellulose. Common food sources include grains and grain byproducts, including bread and pasta, as well as sweetening agents, such as cane sugar and corn syrup.
Studies Linking Aging and Carbohydrate Consumption
Carbohydrate as a Universal Hormonal Control for Aging
Renowned biologist and geneticist Dr. Cynthia Kenyon has been at the forefront of aging research. One of her most significant breakthroughs was discovering that carbohydrate intake serves as a universal hormonal regulator of aging. This theoretical link between aging and carbohydrates has been observed in various organisms, including worms, mice, rats, and monkeys.
Kenyon, along with colleagues Seung-Jae Lee and Coleen T. Murphy, discovered that dietary glucose shortens the lifespan of the roundworm C. elegans by inhibiting the activity of the FOXO family member DAF-16 and the heat shock factor HSF-1. Glucose, a carbohydrate byproduct, is primarily produced by humans through aerobic respiration.
Both DAF-16 and HSF-1 are specialized proteins known as transcription factors. They function as molecular switches within cells and play a crucial role in extending lifespan, regulating insulin production, and enhancing cellular repair and regeneration. These functions are integral to some metabolic processes and have a significant impact on the overall aging process.
Studies Involving Carbohydrates and Brain Functions
A diet high in sugar has been linked to abnormalities in brain function and structure. For instance, a study by Stephen Ginsberg, a neuroscientist at Langone Medical Center at New York University, suggested that a low-carb diet could regulate the activity of approximately 900 genes associated with aging process and memory formation.
The aforementioned study specifically involved observing two groups of female mice. The first group was fed food pellets containing 30 percent fewer calories and the second group received food with a standard calorie level. It is worth noting that female mice, like humans, are more susceptible to dementia than their male counterparts.
Ginsberg performed tissue analyses of the hippocampal region in mice to examine differences in gene expression. He found that restricting carbohydrate intake slows brain aging. Notably, the hippocampus is a region of the brain critical for short-term memory consolidation and formation, and it is one of the areas earliest affected in Alzheimer’s disease.
A 2010 research by S. Seneff, G. W. Wright, and L., Mascitelli also investigated the detrimental effect of a high-carb diet on the development of Alzheimer’s disease. They noted that neurons become severely damaged due to chronic exposure to glucose and oxidizing agents. The damaged neurons then enter a state of apoptosis or programmed cell death.
The findings further bolster the link between aging and carbohydrate consumption. Ginsberg, however, reminded that restricting carb intake does not equate to achieving everlasting youth. He also underscored the need for further research to understand the long-term effects of carb restriction on health and age-related memory impairment.
Effects of High Consumption of Carbs on Skin Aging
Other studies have also explored the impact of a high-carbohydrate diet on accelerating skin aging. A review by Changwei Cao et al. mentioned that long-term consumption of foods high in carbohydrates or a long-term carb-rich diet in mice not only promoted but also accelerated skin aging by activating the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.
It is also worth mentioning the fact that restricting carbohydrate intake may also have adverse effects on skin aging. Qiming Wu et al. conducted an animal study to examine the effects of carbohydrate restriction on skin aging. Their research revealed that a carbohydrate-restricted diet accelerated skin senescence in senescence-accelerated prone mice.
A good balance of macronutrients can support healthy skin aging based on the 2016 study of J. Hew et al. Their mouse model revealed that the ratio of consumed macronutrients influences skin structure. It also showed that the male skin structure was associated with protein intake and the female skin structure was associated with carbohydrate intake.
A Note on the Link Between Aging and Carbohydrate Consumption
It is also worth mentioning that there are different theories of aging. Each theory provides specific assumptions regarding the mechanisms and purpose behind the aging process. The evolutionary theories of aging, for example, attempt to explain senescence from an evolutionary perspective and in consideration of survival and reproduction.
The free radical theory might be a more suitable fit for drawing the link between aging and carbohydrate consumption. Several researchers have noted that a prolonged diet high in refined sugars and processed carbs might increase the production of free radicals. The accumulation of these molecules has been linked to cellular damage.
Nevertheless, based on the studies mentioned above, it cannot be denied that several researchers have directed their attention toward investigating and understating the effects of a high-carb diet on aging. It is still important to note that this research interest is still new. It is impossible to fully establish the link between aging and carbohydrates.
There is also a need to consider diet in its entirety to understand its influence on the aging process. This can be done by taking into consideration the different effects of different macronutrients, the role of macronutrient concentrations, and how these macronutrients and their consumption ratios affect the body at the cellular and molecular levels.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Cao, C., Xiao, Z., Wu, Y., and Ge, G. 2020. “Diet and Skin Aging—From the Perspective of Food Nutrition.” Nutrients. 12(3): 870. DOI: 3390/nu12030870
- Hew, J., Solon-Biet, S. M., McMahon, A. C., Ruohonen, K., Raubenheimer, D., Ballard, J. W. O., Le Couteur, D. G., Nicholls, C., Li, Z., Maitz, P. K. M., Wang, Y., and Simpson, S. J. 2016. “The Effects of Dietary Macronutrient Balance on Skin Structure in Aging Male and Female Mice.” PLOS ONE. 11(11): e0166175. DOI: 1371/journal.pone.0166175
- Lee, S. J., Murphy, C. T., and Kenyon, C. 2009. “Glucose Shortens the Life Span of C. elegans by Downregulating DAF-16/FOXO Activity and Aquaporin Gene Expression.” In Cell Metabolism. 10(5): 379-391. DOI: 1016/j.cmet.2009.10.003
- Seneff, S., Wainwright, G., and Mascitelli, L. 2011. “Nutrition and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Detrimental Role of a High Carbohydrate Diet. European Journal of Internal Medicine. 22(2): 134-140. DOI: 1016/j.ejim.2010.12.017
- Wu, Q., E, S., Yamamoto, K., and Tsuduki, T. 2018. “Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet Promotes Skin Senescence in Senescence-Accelerated Prone Mice. Biogerontology. 20(1): 71-82. DOI: 1007/s10522-018-9777-1