Dr. Pankaj Kapahi looks for clues to longevity. His work confirms the finding that diet plays a major role in aging, and age-related diseases. The Kapahi lab explores molecular mechanisms in a search for strategies to extend healthy lifespan in people. For example, the Kapahi lab found that a low-protein diet could lengthen the lives of fruit flies – a result that challenged the wisdom of the high-protein Atkins diet for weight loss. The low-protein regimen activated genes that led to greater energy production in the cell’s powerhouse units, the mitochondria. Thus, the low protein diet compensated for the age-related decline in performance seen in mitochondria. This effect was mediated … Continue reading Buck Institute