The hormones in our gut may play a significant role in the aging process. A study has found that gut hormones could control how long we live.
The discovery sheds some light on how our diet influences how long we live and could possibly lead to new anti-aging treatments. Researchers from Brown University examined the hormone Neuropeptide F (NPF).
It is produced in the gut of fruit flies and is part of a family of hormones called incretins, which are involved in the regulation of insulin production.
By manipulating the levels of NPF in the flies’ guts, the researchers realized they could extend the insects’ lifespan. In humans, there is a similar hormone known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1).
The communication process between the gut, brain, and other organs contributes to how a gut hormone can impact our health and longevity.
When fruit flies eat, certain cells in their gut send NPF into their bloodstream. The NPF travels to the brain, triggering the production of insulin-like hormones. As a result, these hormones cause another hormone called juvenile hormone to be released from a tiny organ near the brain.
Juvenile hormone is essential for regulating specific aspects of an insect’s physiology, including aging. The researchers were able to indirectly manage the amount of juvenile hormone in the flies’ bodies by tampering with the NPF levels.
The lower the levels of juvenile hormone, the longer the lifespans were. The effects of NPF on lifespan were most noticeable when the flies ate a diet with high protein.
When the researchers decreased NPF production in the gut, the flies on a protein-rich diet lived much longer than those that were on a normal diet.
opolja – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual people
The finding suggests that NPF has something to do with the link between protein consumption and aging.
This can be used to evaluate ways to help humans live longer or tweak diets to have more positive effects on longevity.
Humans do not have juvenile hormones, but we do have incretin hormones like GLP-1 that work similarly.
The results of the study are more important than ever, given the recent rise in the use of GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy.
These drugs are meant to treat diabetes and obesity. They simulate the actions of GLP-1 by stimulating insulin production, much like NPF in flies.
“Given how insulin-increasing drugs like GLP-1 agonists are used to treat diabetes and obesity, and given what we’ve found about the relationship between insulin and aging in flies, it may be time to consider how they could impact human aging,” said Marc Tatar, a co-author of the study and a professor of biology at Brown University.
The research highlights the complex relationship between the gut, brain, and hormones. More studies are needed to determine whether humans can be safely manipulated in the same way as fruit flies. It will be quite a while before an anti-aging treatment can be created.
The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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