One thing is for sure according to several scientific studies: the legendary fountain of youth has minimal to zero carbohydrates. Several studies have been trying to explore and establish the link between aging and carbohydrate consumption. It is possible that the secret to aging slowly lies in restricting the consumption of food rich in carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are one of the macronutrients alongside fats and proteins. They are a common source of energy in living organisms. Known examples of carbohydrates include sugar, starch, and cellulose. Common food sources include grain byproducts, such as 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 revolutionizing the science behind aging. One of her biggest breakthroughs was figuring out that carbohydrate intake is a universal hormonal control for aging. This theoretical link between aging and carbohydrates has proven true for worms, mice, rats, and monkeys.
Kenyon together with colleagues Seung-Jae Lee and Coleen T. Murphy found out that dietary glucose shortened the lifespan of a roundworm called C. elegans by inhibiting the activities of FOXO family member DAF-16 and the heat shock factor HSF-1. Glucose is a carbohydrate byproduct produced primarily by humans through aerobic respiration.
Take note that both DAF-16 and HSF-1 are special proteins called transcription factors that act as molecular switches inside cells. They are responsible for extending lifespan, reducing insulin production, and boosting cellular repair and renovation activities. These functions have a critical role in some metabolic processes and the overall aging process.
Experiments Involving Restricted Carbohydrate Intake
A diet high in sugar has been linked to abnormalities in brain function and structure. Nevertheless, another study by Stephen Ginsberg, a neuroscientist from Langone Medical Center at New York University, concluded that a low-carb diet could regulate the functions of about 900 genes responsible for aging and memory formation.
The aforementioned study specifically involved experimenting with and observing two groups of female mice. The first group was fed with food pellets that had 30 percent fewer calories and the second group was fed with food that had a standard calorie level. It is worth mentioning that female mice, like humans, are more prone to dementia than males.
Ginsberg performed tissue analyses of the hippocampal region on mice to examine differences in gene expressions. He found out that restricting carbohydrate intake stalls brain aging. Take note that the hippocampus is a region in the brain that is critical in short-term memory consolidation and formation. It is affected the earliest in Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings further bolster the link between aging and carbohydrates. Ginsberg, however, noted that this does not mean restricting carbohydrate intake leads to everlasting youth. He also underscored the need for more research to determine the impact of carbohydrate restriction on long-term health and age-related memory impairment.
A 2010 research by S. Seneff, G. W. Wright, and L., Mascitelli highlighted 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.
Effects of High Consumption of Carbs on Skin Aging
Other studies have also investigated the effects of a diet that is high in carbohydrates in accelerating skin aging. A review study by Changwei Cao et al. mentioned that long-term consumption of foods that have high levels of carbohydrates in mice not only promoted but also accelerated skin aging by activating the mammalian target of rapamycin.
It is also worth mentioning the fact that limiting carbohydrate consumption may also accelerate the aging of the skin. Qiming Wu et al. used an animal model to study the effects of restricting carbohydrate intake on skin aging. Their study revealed that a carbohydrate-restricted diet promotes 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
