Scientists in Australia have found a surprising new way to help us live longer and healthier without going through strict diets or cutting down on food.
This discovery comes from researchers at Monash University, and it might change the way we think about aging and eating.
Many people have heard about intermittent fasting—a popular diet where you go without food for certain hours or even days. Studies show it can help with weight loss and might even help you live longer. But fasting can be hard to stick to, especially for people with busy lives or health conditions.
Now, researchers say there could be a much easier option: temporarily removing just one nutrient from the diet—something called isoleucine. Isoleucine is one of the amino acids that make up protein. It’s essential, meaning our bodies need it but can’t make it on their own. We usually get it from foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and some plant-based proteins.
The scientists tested this idea on fruit flies—tiny insects often used in lab studies because they have genes and biological systems that are similar to humans. The results were amazing. When the flies had their isoleucine taken away for short periods, they lived longer and were better able to handle stress, like exposure to toxins.
Tahila Fulton, a PhD student at Monash University, led the study with her team. They published their findings in a scientific journal called GeroScience. Their research showed that even short-term isoleucine restriction—just one week without it—was enough to improve health and extend the flies’ lives.
What makes this so exciting is that, until now, scientists believed that in order to get the benefits of longer life and better health, you had to reduce all amino acids in your diet for a long time. That’s tough for most people. But this study shows you might not need to do that. You might just need to cut out one amino acid for a little while.
The team didn’t stop with young flies—they also tested older ones. They gave flies normal food most of the time but removed isoleucine for one week at different ages.
Then, they tested how well the flies handled exposure to harmful substances. In every case, the flies that had isoleucine removed lived longer than the others, even if they had regular food before and after that one week.
This discovery suggests that small changes to our diets, at the right time, can make a big difference. You don’t need to follow strict or extreme diets for months or years. Just skipping one nutrient for a short period might help your body age more slowly.
Fulton’s research is opening new doors in aging science. It shows that there may be simple ways to stay healthy and live longer without giving up food or going through tough fasting programs. Of course, more studies in humans are needed. But the idea that aging could be slowed down by something as small as changing one part of your diet is full of hope.
If you’re interested in nutrition and aging, you might also want to check out studies on the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease and how vitamin D can reduce cancer deaths. Research also shows that some plant nutrients can lower high blood pressure, and certain antioxidants may protect the brain from dementia.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about A guide to diet choices for healthy kidneys and findings of Scientists find why limiting calories in diet could boost healthy aging and muscles.
For more about nutrition, please read studies about This nutrient in diet can prevent inflammation in older people and findings of Diet high in protein, zinc and niacin may protect heart health during weight loss.
The study was published in GeroScience.
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