Sperm, Grapefruit Slow Aging

Having a big butt helps—seriously

(NEWSER) - Sure, diet and exercise keep you healthy. And yes, smiling will extend your life . But the secrets of aging aren't all so straightforward. Here, courtesy of The Week, are 9 unusual ways to live longer:

• Win the Nobel Prize: Winners live 1.4 years longer than those who were nominated. If you aren't a genius, that's OK. Just try to make people like you; social status is good for your health.
• Live through a recession: In the 20th century, recessions led to longer lifespans, as people gave up expensive vices and fewer people died in workplace and car accidents.

Experts hope caloric restriction holds key to longer lives

(NEWSER) - Scientists are hoping new drugs can battle the effects of aging, extending our lives or at least keeping the years from slowing us down, the New York Times reports. At the heart of the research is the discovery that caloric restrictions can extend life in mice. If humans can make our bodies think we’re cutting calories, perhaps we can reap similar benefits. More»

Alteration makes cells less receptive to growth factor

(NEWSER) - A genetic mutation that makes cells less responsive to growth hormone has been linked to human longevity, Scientific American reports. A recent study looked at children of Ashkenazi Jews with a family history of long life and an average age of 98, and compared their genes with the children of other Ashkenazi who died around age 68. The mutation suppressing response to the growth factor IGF1 showed up in the former group. More»

Calories-restricted diets release CREB1, the key to brain health

(NEWSER) - Scientists have long known that calorie-restricted diets— as in 30% fewer calories than normal —are a key to living longer and keeping your brain healthier. But now, for the first time, they think they know why: Apparently extreme calorie restriction triggers a brain protein, CREB1, that unlocks good genes and brain function, reports the AFP . "CREB1 is known to regulate important brain functions [such] as memory, learning, and anxiety control, and its activity is reduced or physiologically compromised by aging," wrote the researchers. More»

Study targeted mouse senescent cells, responsible for many aging effects

(NEWSER) - It's not the fountain of youth ... yet. But scientists think they have taken a major step toward staving off some of the conditions of aging by removing senescent cells—cells that have stopped dividing—from mice, reports the Wall Street Journal . In the study, rapidly aged mice were given a drug designed to destroy senescent cells, resulting in a "quite dramatic delay" in the development of many age-related diseases, muscle-wasting—and wrinkles. More»