New studies have been done on mice which show that it is possible to fine-tune your mitochondria. These are cellular powerhouses, and are responsible for various different body functions, such as insulin sensitivity. Results of the study seem to indicate that insulin sensitivity could be increased, thereby reducing the risk of diabetes and other health concerns.
Type 2 diabetes is a disease of the endocrine system that currently affects around eight percent of the population, and the new research could prove to be key in helping to develop a more effective treatment for sufferers, thereby increasing their quality of life and general wellbeing. It is also thought that the ‘tweaking’ of these mitochondria could lead to reduced body fat and could even, in some cases, extend life.
Researchers at the School of Medicine at the UT Health Science Centre in San Antonio found that if the activity of a protein complex that is involved in the function of the mitochondria, there were various associated healthy changes which led to the life span of the mice involved in the study being increased by up to 20 percent.
Researchers were surprised by this, as of course decreasing the function of something in the body should decrease wellness, but in this case the damage actually has a beneficial effect on the body’s metabolism. The most important side effect was the decreased weight that was observed in the mice, along with corresponding decrease in body-mass index (BMI).
Too much fat is harmful and can lead to all kinds of health complications. Finding a way to reduce body fat could be useful in the fight against diabetes but also in the fight against all kinds of other health problems. Managing to reduce it could therefore realistically increase the life span of humans quite significantly.
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