New research has found that fasting triggers a molecule that can delay the aging of our arteries. The findings could help prevent age-related chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s.

Share on Pinterest Scientists have discovered a new role for a molecule produced during fasting: it can keep our vascular system supple and young.

The search for eternal youth has preoccupied the human imagination since the times of Ancient Greece.

In fact, a quick look at Greek mythology shows that youth was more prized than immortality, as some myths tell the story of how futile the latter is if it’s not accompanied by the former.

In this regard, modern medicine has recently been catching up with ancient mythology.

Emerging scientific breakthroughs encourage us to hope that the myth of eternal youth will soon become a reality.

In a recent study, researchers were able to reverse signs of aging such as hair loss and wrinkles in mice; and, perhaps more impressively, another team of researchers managed to rejuvenate aging human cells.

Now, a new study adds to the evidence that aging can indeed be reversed. Scientists led by Dr. Ming-Hui Zou — the director of the Center for Molecular and Translational Medicine at Georgia State University in Atlanta — showed that fasting, or restricting calorie intake, can produce a molecule that delays vascular aging.

The findings were published in the journal Molecular Cell.