But it's unclear whether the same holds true for humans, researchers say

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- For a certain kind of worm, the sweet life may also be the short life.

New research suggests that added sugar in their diet robs the creatures of 20 percent of their life span.

It's unclear what the findings mean for humans, but they raise questions about the impact of diets high in sugar, according to the study authors, who report their findings in the November issue of the journal Cell Metabolism.

In the study, researchers added a small amount of glucose -- sugar -- to the diet of worms known as C. elegans. The worms normally eat bacteria.

The worms had shorter lives, apparently because of the sugar's effect on the worms' insulin signals, according to the report.

One of the researchers, Cynthia Kenyon of the University of California at San Francisco, said the worms and people are actually similar in the way their bodies handle insulin.

"In the early '90s, we discovered mutations that could double the normal life span of worms," Kenyon said in a news release from the journal's publisher. Those mutations involved internal signals regarding insulin, she explained.

The researchers noted that although the research is in its early stages, it's possible that a low-glycemic index -- one that doesn't quickly boost blood-sugar levels -- could boost longevity.

Scientists are already at work on related research, trying to understand how tightly restricted diets -- in which animals eat much less than they normally would -- helps them live longer.

Humans could conceivably try to do the same thing, but it's impractical for many people to eat much less than their bodies tell them they should.

Meanwhile, as a result of her work, Kenyon has adopted a low-carb diet, giving up most starches and desserts.

http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=632696

More recycled news. I heard about Kenyon's research quite a long time ago. I can't recall where now, several years back. Anyway it was enough to convince her to go low carb.

the entire OA is available here:
http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism...%2809%2900302-7

an interesting associated article titled, "life is short, if sweet" also free in cell metabolism here:
http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism...%2809%2900305-2

something must be new, nancy; it's the featured article in the current issue of cell metabolism.

gary taubes wrote about kenyon in gcbc...

I remember seeing her on TV. I just can't remember what the context was though. I think was a Nova special about longevity. Maybe she's just now publishing her findings. It takes them years to do this stuff.

If anything makes low carb popular again, it won't be because of the health aspects, it'll be because of the anti-aging aspects. People value their looks a lot more than their health.

Glucose Shortens the Life Span of C. elegans by Downregulating DAF-16/FOXO Activity and Aquaporin Gene Expression
Lee et al.
Look like the full text is online as well.
Many studies have addressed the effect of dietary glycemic index on obesity and diabetes, but little is known about its effect on life span itself.
We found that adding a small amount of glucose to the medium (2%) shortened the life span of C. elegans by inhibiting the activities of life span-extending transcription factors that are also inhibited by insulin signaling: the FOXO family member DAF-16 and the heat shock factor HSF-1.
This effect involved the downregulation of an aquaporin glycerol channel, aqp-1.
We show that changes in glycerol metabolism are likely to underlie the life span-shortening effect of glucose and that aqp-1 may act cell nonautonomously as a feedback regulator in the insulin/IGF-1-signaling pathway.
Insulin downregulates similar glycerol channels in mammals, suggesting that this glucose-responsive pathway might be conserved evolutionarily.
Together, these findings raise the possibility that a low-sugar diet might have beneficial effects on life span in higher organisms.

PS Sorry eepobee I was so busy reading the paper I didn't notice you'd already posted the links.

Exactly. It's on page 222:

And to those who doubt that humans are not worms and are not affected by glucose and insulin-IGF, I ask, what then prevents glucose and insulin-IGF from affecting us the same way? If the answer is "because we're lean", then I reply that this implies that when we're fat, it affects us the same way. What if it's because we exercise? Then when we're sedentary, it affects us the same way. What if it's because of our healthy diet? Then when we eat crap, it affects us the same way. See, there is no getting away from the effects of glucose and insulin-IGF. Unless, ah yes, unless we don't eat any glucose. But, but, it's food! Catch 22.

Think it's food you're eating? Then why is it killing you slowly?