Mediterranean diet may activate tiny proteins that protect the heart and brain
The Mediterranean diet may influence aging through tiny proteins produced inside the cell’s mitochondria. Older adults who followed the diet most closely had higher levels of humanin and SHMOOSE, which have been linked to heart and brain protection. Olive oil, fish, legumes, and fewer refined carbohydrates appeared especially important. The findings could eventually help scientists develop more personalized nutrition plans for healthy aging.
The Mediterranean diet may help protect the heart and brain by activating tiny anti-aging proteins hidden inside our cells.
Mitochondria are best known as the structures that generate energy inside cells, but scientists increasingly recognize that they also release chemical signals that affect metabolism, inflammation, stress responses, and aging.
The researchers found that older adults who followed a Mediterranean diet most closely had higher blood levels of two mitochondrial microproteins called humanin and SHMOOSE. Both have previously been associated with protection against cardiovascular disease and neurodegeneration, the gradual loss of nerve cell function seen in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.
The study was led by Roberto Vicinanza, an instructional associate professor of gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School.
"These microproteins may act as molecular messengers that translate what we eat into how our cells function and age," Vicinanza said. "It's a new biological pathway that helps explain why the Mediterranean diet is so powerful."