Irvine : Grant Received by UCI for Diet-Lifespan Study

Researchers at UC Irvine’s College of Medicine have been awarded a $348,000, three-year grant to study the connection between fewer calories and longer life.

“Diet is the single environmental manipulation known to increase life-span,” said Daniel Hollander, professor and chief of gastroenterology at the university. The life-extending effect of a reduced diet in rodents has been documented since the 1930s, but the physiological mechanisms underlying the phenomenon have not been well understood.

During a previous study conducted in collaboration with researchers at UCLA, Hollander found that mice on restricted diets not only lived 30% to 50% longer than normal, but the capacity of their digestive systems to absorb vitamin A was increased by 20%

Having observed that caloric restriction modifies the ability of the small intestine to absorb a nutrient like Vitamin A, Hollander has begun to investigate its effect on the absorption of other lipid nutrients, known as fatty acids. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will measure the effect of restricted diet both on aging and intestinal absorptive capacity.

Hollander will also study the effect of diet and aging on the intestine’s natural barrier against large molecules, a characteristic that may play a role in preventing the entry of carcinogens and other toxins.