Key points from article :
A compound nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) make cells act younger than they are—at least in mice.
That substance is also found in natural foods, including broccoli, cucumbers, cabbage and edamame.
When they gave normal aging mice infusions of NMN, they made energy-fueling compound and some of the biological problems associated with aging went away.
The mice receiving NMN were also able to prevent some of the genetic changes associated with aging.
Part of the team is launching an early study on people — using supplements of NMN in pill form.
“We are losing the enzyme NMN. But if we can bypass that process by adding NMN, we can make energy again”- Shin-Ichiro Imai, Senior author.
Findings are also in line with other anti-aging compounds that have shown promise in animal studies.
Human studies will provide more information about how to keep cells young — and maybe halt, or at least hold off, the diseases.
Research by Washington University School of Medicine published in Cell metabolism.
