What is the significance of the smell of a fine meal to you? It may be more important than what you tend to believe. Researchers from various universities, namely; University of Houston, University of Michigan and Baylor College of Medicine, have revealed in a study that will be published in the open-access journal, PLoS Biology, that particular odors that correspond to foods or signify the presence of danger are able of changing an animal’s lifespan as well as its psychological profile by triggering a small quantity of specialized sensory neurons.
According to latest research, related to model organisms and humans has demonstrated that sensory experiences can have an impact on a broad range of health-related characteristics that include type II diabetes, athletic performance and aging. For instance, fruit flies and nematode worms that were deprived of their ability to taste or smell, lived significantly longer. On the other hand, the particular odors and sensory receptors that influence and control this effect on the aging process were unknown.
By making use of molecular genetics combined with environmental and behavioural manipulations, an association between the laboratories Gregg Roman and Scott Pletcher has accomplished in detecting carbon dioxide (CO2) as the primary well-defined capable of changing physiology and influencing aging. Flies that are incapable of smelling the CO2 gas are able to have a more extended lifespan than flies that have regular olfactory capabilities. Moreover, these flies are even resistant to stress and have much more body fat.
The CO2 gas is an ecologically significant odor for many insects, for fruit flies as well. The CO2 is a cue that signals the presence of food, animal blood or rotting fruit for example, or neighbours that are in distress. In reality, this team of researchers have shown in the past that the mere fact of sensing one’s typical source of food is capable of inverting the longevity and health benefits that are related with a low calorie diet. They are ascertaining that CO2 bears the responsibility of this effect.
Scott Pletcher affirms that they are currently working hard in order to understand the way sensory perception impacts health and that their new results have considerably narrowed the playing field. He advances that in one way or the other, these 50 or so neurons, whose most important job is t sense CO2, are able to set off alterations that accelerate the aging process all throughout the organism.
It has been demonstrated that sensory perception has an impact on aging in species that are unconnected by millions of years through evolution. This suggests that comparable effects might be seen in human beings as well. For human beings it might not be the smell of yeast, for instance, or even the sensing of CO2 that will have an effect on the period that we will live. However, it might be our perception of danger or food. In this case, a smart program whereby perceptual experience is controlled might form the foundation of an easy yet powerful program to prevent disease and promote healthy aging.
Source: Eurekalert
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Tue, Jun 1, 2010
Anti Aging, Bioscience, Longevity