title: Dietary protein, aging and nutritional geometry.
abstract: Nearly a century of research has shown that nutritional interventions can delay aging and age- related diseases in many animal models and possibly humans. The most robust and widely studied intervention is caloric restriction, while protein restriction and restriction of various amino acids (methionine, tryptophan) have also been shown to delay aging. However, there is still debate over whether the major impact on aging is secondary to caloric intake, protein intake or specific amino acids. Nutritional geometry provides new perspectives on the relationship between nutrition and aging by focusing on calories, macronutrients and their interactions across a landscape of diets, and taking into account compensatory feeding in ad libitum-fed experiments. Nutritional geometry is a state-space modelling approach that explores how animals respond to and balance changes in nutrient availability. Such studies in insects and mice have shown that low protein, high carbohydrate diets are associated with longest lifespan in ad libitum fed animals suggesting that the interaction between macronutrients may be as important as their total intake.
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia. Electronic address: Stephen.simpson@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia; Ageing and Alzheimers Institute, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Clinical School/Sydney Medical School, Concord, 2139, Australia.
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Le Couteur
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia; School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raubenheimer
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Samantha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Solon-Biet
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cooney
authors.affiliation: Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, Australia; Ageing and Alzheimers Institute, ANZAC Research Institute, Concord Clinical School/Sydney Medical School, Concord, 2139, Australia.
authors.forename: Victoria C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Cogger
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia Medical School, 25121 Brescia, Italy; CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, 80145 Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fontana
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D002149:Energy Intake; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D008715:Methionine; D023421:Models, Animal; D009752:Nutritional Status
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D008715:Methionine
keywords: Aging; Calorie restriction; Lifespan; Low protein high carbohydrate; Methionine restriction; Protein restriction