Aging and oxidative stress: modulation by dietary restriction

Abstract

Aging is an inevitable biological process that affects most living organisms. Despite the enormous consequences associated with the aging process, until recently, relatively little systematic effort has been expended on the scientific understanding of this important life process. Society, however, urged by an ever increasing older population, is challenging scientists from many disciplines to explore one of nature's most complex phenomena-biological aging. For the past two decades, research directed toward the basic understanding of biological aging mechanisms and possible aging interventions have given us new insights into the molecular bases and the biological events that contribute to age-related deterioration. To further investigate the aging processes, one probe uniquely suited to exploring the progression of aging in animal models is dietary restriction, currently the only antiaging intervention accepted by gerontologists and nutritionists. Recent research renders a better understanding of how reduced dietary intake extends the life span, supplying evidence that dietary restriction is a diverse and effective modulator of oxidative stress. It has been proposed that this antioxidative mechanism is the underlying anti-aging action of dietary restriction.