Pomegranates, turmeric and red grapes: the key to long life?

Cells keep the body healthy by devouring toxic waste to fight off everything from wrinkles to dementia. Could certain foods help?Autophagy literally means “self-devouring” – something our cells are doing constantly, breaking down damage and toxic waste products – andJapanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi has just been awarded the Nobel prize in medicine for his work in uncovering the complex mechanisms that underpin this remarkable internal recycling system. So how does autophagy keep us healthy? Why might dysfunctional autophagy contribute to diabetes, dementia, leukaemia and Parkinson ’s disease? And will our new understanding lead to any cures?The process ofautophagy involves gathering up cellular junk and waste, sealing it in the cellular equivalent of a bin bag and transporting it to the cellular rubbish bin, called thelysosome, where enzymes break down the contents. “I often call autophagy the recycling van that delivers the rubbish to the recycling centre,” saysProfessor Katja Simon, of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology in Oxford. It plays a key role in health, disease and ageing, she says: “It is very important to degrade toxic waste for the survival of the cell, and a cell without autophagy cannot survive. But it has also been shown that it is important in disease development, such as in Parkinson’s disease, which is characterised by the accumulation of protein aggregates in neur onal cells. Furthermore, autophagy levels fall in the ageing pro...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 10, 2016 Category: Science Authors: Ann Robinson Tags: Health & wellbeing Microbiology Medical research Science Nobel prizes People in science Science prizes Life and style Source Type: news