

Vegetarian low protein diet could be key to long life - hachiya
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6710896/Vegetarian-low-protein-diet-could-be-key-to-long-life.html

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hachiya
People interested in caloric restriction, optimal nutrition (CRON), should
find the latest research reported on in this article very interesting.

This article reports that a diet low in the amino acid menthionine is
hypothesized to be the key to longevity in humans, rather than calorie
restriction.

    
    
      …in a series of new experiments on fruit flies, scientists
      discovered that simply varying the mix of amino acids in
      the diet affected lifespan.
    
      *Further study revealed that one particular amino acid,
      methionine, made all the difference.*
    
      Although flies and people are very different, the
      researchers believe the effects are likely to be conserved 
      throughout a wide range of different species including 
      humans…
    
      "If it turns it has the same effect on humans, then the 
      message is avoid high levels of methionine."
     
    

From Wikipedia:

    
    
      High levels of methionine can be found in sesame seeds,
      Brazil nuts, fish, meats and some other plant seeds. Most
      fruits and vegetables contain very little of it. Most 
      legumes are also low in methionine.

~~~
evgen
Time to eat more veal and lamb :) The wikipedia article has a somewhat limited
selection of example datapoints, but if you want a somewhat larger list I
found the site <http://www.grubiq.com/> has a little widget that lets you
select by nutrient, including methionine, to get a more complete list of foods
and amounts.

------
hachiya
In 2005, the below paper was published showing life extension in mice
allegedly due to methionine restriction.

So the instant article would make it appear that at least some scientists
think they are closer to showing a similar mechanism at work in humans.

From 2005, "Aging Cell" journal:

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15924568>

Methionine-deficient diet extends mouse lifespan, slows immune and lens aging,
alters glucose, T4, IGF-I and insulin levels, and increases hepatocyte MIF
levels and stress resistance.

