Diabetes drug metformin has anti-ageing effects and extends the life of male mice, a new research suggests.
Scientists believe metformin may mimic the effects of extreme calorie restriction.
This regime, which is based on eating a very low calorie diet, is thought to promote healthy ageing.
The human implications of the study are unclear, the researchers report in the journal, Nature Communications.
Rafael de Cabo, of the National Institute on Ageing in Baltimore, Maryland, said calorie restriction in laboratory animals had been shown to increase their lifespan.
His team is searching for interventions – such as a drug – that can mimic these effects.
Diabetes drug metformin has anti-ageing effects and extends the life of male mice
Metformin is one of the most widely prescribed treatments for type-2 diabetes, which occurs mainly in people above the age of 40. It is also used to treat metabolic syndrome, a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
Previous work has shown that metformin can extend the lifespan of simple organisms such as worms, but studies in flies and mammals have given conflicting evidence.
The scientists gave one of two different doses of metformin to middle-aged male mice and found that lower doses increased lifespan by about 5%, and also delayed the onset of age-associated diseases. But they said the higher dose of metformin was toxic and reduced the lifespan of mice.
Further studies were needed to determine if metformin has any effect on human health and lifespan, said Dr. Rafael de Cabo.
“These are very promising results that need to be translated to humans via clinical studies,” he said.
He said the best current advice was to eat a good diet and exercise.
“Right now the best that we can say is probably what your grandmother told you,” Dr. Rafael de Cabo.
“Eat a good diet and exercise are the only two things that we know for sure that they work very well in humans.”
In Kirstie Alley’s advert for QVC’s Organic Liaison, the actress is shown before and after her extreme weight loss.
In her advert, Kirstie Alley, 61, credits shredding pounds to the product.
However, a Californian woman has claimed that Kirstie Alley is a “liar”, and didn’t drop a staggering 100 lbs with the aid of the so-called weight loss tablets, and is now suing the star.
Marina Abramyan, who uses the product, claims that Kirstie Alley lost all of her weight when she was on Dancing With The Stars, according to the class action suit obtained by website TMZ.
The woman attributes Kirstie Alley’s slimline figure to vigorous dancing on the show and her low calorie diet.
She also alleges that Organic Liaison merely contains calcium and fibre, both of which are not proven weight-loss aids.
Marina Abramyan is suing for unspecified damages.
In Kirstie Alley’s advert for QVC's Organic Liaison, the actress is shown before and after her extreme weight loss
Kirstie Alley, who was born in Kansas, got her big break in the 1990’s on the hit comedy Cheers.
After the series ended, Kirstie Alley embarked on a movie career, but the roles later dried up when her weight spiraled out of control.
She served as a Jenny Craig spokeswoman from 2005 to 2008, however, she failed to reach her weight loss goals.
When Kirstie Alley appeared on DWTS last year, she began to shed weight rapidly and by the end of the series there was a vast difference in her figure.
Meanwhile Kirstie Alley recently wrote a memoir titled The Art of Men (I Prefer Mine Al Dente).
The tome is billed as a “candid and audacious memoir about her life and the men she has shared it with”.
The book’s Amazon entry also says it “delivers a down-and-dirty account of all the men she’s slept with, danced with, drank with, and the ones she’s loved and hated during her sixty years on the planet”.
Kirstie Alley, a high-profile Scientologist, will no doubt enjoy the notoriety she will garner from her tell-all book when it is released in November.
The book is also going to examine her weight battles, her successful spell on Dancing With the Stars and her journey into the world of science fiction geekdom when she starred in the Star Trek movie franchise.
Perhaps most exciting off all will be Kirstie Alley’s thoughts on starring in Cheers, which is one the most successful sitcoms ever in US TV history.
Oprah Winfrey has lost 25 lbs in just six weeks, it was revealed today, shedding much of the weight she had gained over the past 18 months due to the pressures of running her OWN network.
The secret to Oprah Winfrey’ success, sources say, is a lean, low-calorie diet implemented by her new chef.
The fast results were also thanks to the fact that she has resumed her regular treadmill workouts with trainer Bob Greene, they added.
“Oprah has absolutely flipped for the new chef,” a source told the National Enquirer.
“The personalized diet Oprah’s been following uses a combination of fruits and vegetables, fish, chicken and lean meat.
“It’s low in fat and calories, but still leaves her feeling full.”
It is a positive turn for the star, who has spoken publicly about her struggle to maintain a healthy weight.
Once rakishly thin in 1988, Oprah Winfrey's weight has been a yo-yo ever since, not helped by a thyroid problem, diagnosed in 2008, that caused the scales to soar to 200 lbs
Once rakishly thin in 1988, Oprah Winfrey’s weight has been a yo-yo ever since, not helped by a thyroid problem, diagnosed in 2008, that caused the scales to soar to 200 lbs.
Oprah Winfrey, now 58, wrote at the time in O Magazine: “The thyroid diagnosis felt like some kind of prison sentence. I was so frustrated that I started eating whatever I wanted – and that’s never good. My drug of choice is food. I use food for the same reasons an addict uses drugs: to comfort, to soothe, to ease stress.”
Now, though, it appears that she has struck the right balance of a healthy, lean diet that does not feel restrictive, and a workout programme that is equally sustainable.
“Deep down, Oprah knew she had the willpower to lose it again if she took the right approach, and she’s finally found a plan she really likes,” the National Enquirer’s source explained.
“This program is a lifestyle change and it stresses eating the right kind of foods to sustain energy and good health.”
