Hunger Pangs Could Be Linked to Slower Ageing, Says Recent Study

A new study has suggested that even the sensation of hunger can have an effect on ageing, while the taste and smell of food can reduce the benefits of diet restrictions. Previous research has shown that animals can increase their lifespan by restricting calorie intake. The latest research, published in the journal Science, has found that inducing hunger alone can lead to flies living longer lives. Even when deprived of amino acid molecules, hunger extended the life span of fruit flies. The scientists highlighted that perception of insufficient food is enough to cause the benefits of extending life span.

The researchers found various ways of inducing hunger in the fruit flies. One method included testing a low-BCAA snack food to change the amount of branched-chain amino acid molecules present. Later on, the flies were given access to a buffet consisting of yeast or sugar food. Those that fed on the low-BCAA snack food consumed more yeast than sugar in the buffet, showing an otherwise indicator of hunger in the flies. Despite the calorie content of the snack food, the flies consumed more food and more total calories. As a result, these flies lived significantly longer than those fed on high-BCAA diets.

The scientists then activated cells associated with hunger in the flies and exposed them to red light. These flies consumed twice as much food as those not exposed to the light and lived longer as a result. The study only used flies, however, the scientists are optimistic that the mechanisms discovered can modulate hunger drives in other species. The researchers concluded that “motivational states alone can be deterministic drivers of ageing”.