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Researchers may have found a way to mimic some anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction by targeting an inflammation-linked immune protein called C3. The study, conducted at Yale School of Medicine, suggests that blocking C3 could reduce age-related inflammation.
The team examined plasma samples from participants who reduced their calorie intake by 14% over two years. They found that levels of C3 significantly decreased, indicating its role in chronic inflammation associated with aging. Interestingly, the decline in C3 levels was independent of weight loss, suggesting that the benefits of calorie restriction could be achieved without necessarily losing weight.
To further explore this, the researchers tested a drug that inhibits C3 activation in mice, which resulted in reduced age-related inflammation. This finding opens up new avenues for potential treatments that could extend health span without the need for severe dieting.