Popular drug found to extend lifespan just as well as calorie-cutting
By Diana Bruk
While we typically think of cutting calories as an attempt to squeeze into our favorite pair of skinny jeans, it’s worth remembering that scientists think of it in terms of longevity more so than looks.
It’s been known for quite some time that severely reducing calorie intake can extend lifespan, which is why intermittent fasting has become all the rage.
However, even the most disciplined among us would admit that it’s “not sustainable” — a fancy way of saying that it sucks.
Woman examining irritated skin in a mirror
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Extensive research has found that an immunosuppressant drug turned longevity darling delivers almost the same life‑extension benefits as slashing calories.
Yura Yarema – stock.adobe.com
Now, a new study out of the UK suggests you can have your cake and eat it, too, so to speak.
A massive analysis recently published in the journal Aging Cell revealed that rapamycin — the immunosuppressant drug turned longevity darling — delivers almost the same life‑extension benefits as slashing calories.
Sultanova, a researcher at the University of East Anglia, said in a statement.
“We wanted to know if popular anti-aging drugs like rapamycin or metformin could offer similar effects without the need to cut calories,” she added.
Gloved hands holding a package of Rapamycin capsules
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Rapamycin was originally used to suppress immune response in organ transplant patients and treat rare diseases.
luchschenF – stock.adobe.com
Researchers analyzed 167 studies across eight vertebrate species, including primates, rodents and fish, to find that rapamycin’s results were surprisingly similar to rigorous dietary restriction.
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The same findings did not hold for the popular Type 2 diabetes drug metformin.
Rapamycin, isolated from soil on Easter Island in the 1970s, was originally used to suppress immune response in organ transplant patients and treat rare diseases.
It works by inhibiting the mTOR pathway, which governs cell growth and repair, and it appears to mimic the cellular cleanup triggered by fasting, known as autophagy.
Although rapamycin is already approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention of organ rejection, it’s not cleared for anti‑aging purposes in humans.
While low doses of the drug seem to have no serious side effects, some studies suggest that because it suppresses the immune system, it can raise the risk of infection.
Middle-aged man taking a pill with water
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Researchers analyzed 167 studies across eight vertebrate species to find that rapamycin’s results were similar to rigorous dietary restriction.
sofiko14 – stock.adobe.com
Other common side effects include headache, chills, joint pain, diarrhea, nausea and mouth sores.
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Anti-aging acolyte Bryan Johnson, 47, said last year that he dropped the drug from his routine after years of experimentation because “the benefits of lifelong dosing of rapamycin do not justify the hefty side-effects.”
He reported occasional skin and soft tissue infections, abnormal amounts of fats in his blood, heightened blood sugar and a higher resting heart rate.
Study co-author Edward Ivimey-Cook noted that these new research findings don’t suggest that everyone should start taking rapamycin.
“But they do strengthen the case for its further study in aging research and raise important questions about how we approach longevity therapeutics,” he said.
Sultanova added that the results “show that drug repurposing is a promising approach to improving people’s health and lifespan.”
Until large‑scale human trials prove rapamycin safe and effective for everyday use, you should stick to healthy eating, exercise and proven lifestyle changes to try to live longer.
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