Published: 12:00am, 19 Dec 2024Updated: 12:15am, 19 Dec 2024
A team of scientists in China said they have discovered how a type of bile known as lithocholic acid (LCA) can slow down ageing in a way similar to how calorie restriction or fasting work.
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The team found that LCA, a naturally occurring acid compound in humans and animals that is produced in the liver, is a metabolite that alone can reproduce starvation effects in mice – resulting in muscle regeneration and even enhancing grip strength and running capacity.
The findings of the study, led by Xiamen University, were published in two articles in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on Thursday.
During calorie restriction, LCA is accumulated in mammals and activates the energy sensor enzyme AMPK, a master metabolic regulator.
AMPK, which is naturally activated when glucose levels become low, is important for anti-ageing because it regulates various cellular processes, including inflammation and neurodegeneration.
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To activate it without fasting is to induce a state of pseudo-starvation.