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Insulin and Gene Expression
publication date: Oct 28, 2010
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author/source: Arthur De Vany
One of Cynthia Kenyon's latest research triumphs is to identify genes that turn aging on or off. Insulin is the culprit and exercise is the good guy. We EFers have known this for some time since there is plenty of other research on this issue along with hers (it is discussed and cited in my book). Note this little sequence of puzzles in this article: "So should we all be trying to cut back on carbs to reduce our insulin levels? It is a suggestion that flies in the face of 30 years of health advice to have a lower fat intake and eat plenty of long-lasting complex carbo hydrates to keep the body supplied with energy. There is no denying the extra ordinary breakthrough Kenyon’s work represents and she ‘deserves the Nobel Prize for her findings about ageing’, says David Gems, deputy director of the Institute for Healthy Ageing at University College, London. However he isn’t convinced we know enough for us all to start eating a low-carb diet. ‘The exact role of insulin in health and ageing is a promising and fascinating area,’ he says. ‘But I’m not sure the evidence for the benefit of cutting carbohydrates and keeping insulin levels down is strong enough yet.’ But Professor Kenyon herself doesn’t need convincing. ‘Carbohydrates, and especially refined ones like sugar, make you produce lots of extra insulin. I’ve been keeping my intake really low ever since I discovered this." As for me, I have been doing and saying this for almost 30 years and exercising too. That is why my insulin is at the bottom of the range labs can measure; so is my WW's and many subscribers who follow the Evolutionary Fitness Way. Glucose restriction is more effective than calorie restriction, exercise is the fountain of youth, and it should be easy playful, but intense exercise, not factory work. |