Diet helps to maintain the 'spring age' of the brain

A diet can prolong the effective duration of the human brain because it awakens a particular protein.

>>>Why do you stop dieting and gain weight?

Previous animal studies have shown that dieting increases longevity and memory, reducing the risk of dementia and many other diseases. However, scientists do not know why diets bring such benefits.

To find out, Sacred Heart University scientists in Italy feed two groups of mice, in which a group of diets allow them to absorb only 70% of their daily energy, Telegraph reported.

The research group found that the life expectancy, memory ability and brain activity of the diets mice were much higher than those of normal eating groups. The risk of obesity, diabetes and memory loss among the dieters was lower. Mice dieting is not as easily irritated as rats eat normally.

After further study, the team found that when the body receives less energy, a protein called CREB1 will be activated. CREB1 then 'awakened' sirtuin - a type of molecule that can increase life expectancy.

The new finding coincides with the results of previous studies on CREB1, which plays an important role in many brain processes - including memory and knowledge acquisition.

Since CREB1 weakens with human age, we can only activate it by dieting. Once activated, CREB1 slows down the aging process in the brain.

'Our research can help scientists create drugs that can slow down the aging process of the brain. We hope in the future we can find a way to activate CREB1 in certain ways, such as through drugs, to help the brain stay active without dieting , 'said Dr. Giovambattista Pani, the leader of the research team, said.