The main purpose of these researchers is ______ A. to help to destroy old cells and boost new ones B. to alter the natural process known as apoptosis C. to find out ways to protect aging brain cells D. to compare different levels of proteins
Another protein thought to protect from cell death dropped by 60% in the well-fed rats, but it actually increased over time in the calorie-restricted rats.
Finally, DNA fragmentation, a third indicator of cell death, more than doubled in the unrestricted rats with age, but this increase was 36% less in the calorie-restricted rats.Although the results are promising, researchers say more study is needed to completely understand the processes that lead to cell death and the role nutrition plays in that process.
Meanwhile, they say, their study provides yet another reason to watch what you eat. "We’re not going to do it right away to improve our memories; we’re going to do it probably in general for the first reasons, which would be to prevent cardiovascular disease and cancer," says Christian Leeuwenburgh at the University of Florida.