Can we extend healthspan by altering the perception of food?

(Buck Institute for Research on Aging) Researchers have shown a new effect on aging via a small drug-like molecule that alters the perception of food in C. elegans. Scientists at the Buck Institute 'tricked' the worm's metabolism into a state of caloric restriction, extending the animal's lifespan by 50 percent. The study provides a new avenue of inquiry for researchers who are attempting to develop human drugs that mimic the positive effects of a Spartan diet.