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What do pomegranates and mouse blood have in common? Compounds that slow cellular aging, according to studies from two different teams.
Consider the latest discovery of an energy-boosting protein found running through the bloodstreams of young mice.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say the protein — an enzyme called extracellular nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (eNAMPT) — may be able to delay the aging process. Their report was recently published in Cell Metabolism.
eNAMPT encourages production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a molecule that helps generate energy in every cell in the body. NAD is produced in the hypothalamus of the brain, a that slows sharply with age.
The team found that upon consuming the protein, older mice became more energetic, lived 16% longer, and enjoyed healthier fur.
Before human subjects can anticipate an extra decade of life with a full head of hair, there is still a lot more research to conduct.
A tastier alternative
Still, if you’re looking for a tastier alternative, how about some pomegranates?
Two Swiss research teams just published findings in Nature Metabolism that indicate pomegranates and other fruits contains compounds called urolithin A (UA), which can strengthen tissue and muscle cells in aging people.
“These observed effects on mitochondrial biomarkers show that UA induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health following regular oral consumption in humans,” according to the study.
Remedies certainly do turn up in some random places, but with these types of findings around the world, one has to wonder if pomegranate-flavored mouse blood capsules could be coming to the health food store in the near future.
