New York: Scientists have found that reducing insulin prolongs life in a series of experiments with worms.

The discovery could lead to specific anti-ageing drugs and new treatments for age-related diseases such as heart problems and some cancers, helping people to live longer.

The new study found that reducing insulin levels helps fight off free radicals, the harmful chemicals that damage cells and are thought to have a role in triggering cancers and other diseases

Insulin, which is also used in the treatment of type 1 diabetes, is produced in the pancreas in response to eating, and allows sugar to be converted into energy and to transport it to cells.

Dr Keith Blackwell, associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School, genetically manipulated tiny worms so that the insulin in their bodies was less effective.

This, in turn, boosted the activity of a master gene, called SKN-1, which forms part of the body’s defences against free radicals. As a result, the worms lived for longer.

Dr Blackwell, whose work was published in the journal Cell, said: “This has implications for basic biology since under some circumstances insulin may reduce the defences against the damaging effects of oxidative stress more than we realise.

“If we as people have these same stress defences and if we could learn how to maximise their potential, this might be of significant benefit in various diseases such as diabetic and vascular complications. The major implication is that we have found something new that affects lifespan and ageing.”

The worms, called Caenorhabditis elegans, are frequently used by scientists because their genetic make-up has been found to be very similar to that of humans.

Dr Blackwell and colleagues will now repeat their experiments in mammals.

The hope is that developing drugs or other therapies that could fine-tune the activity of the SKN-1 master gene would lead to increased resistance to chronic diseases and boost longevity.

Experiments going back to the 1930s have shown that restricting food consumption in laboratory animals including worms, rats and monkeys can extend lifespans.

There has been little firm evidence this could be applied to humans.

However, this has not stopped more than 1,000 people from joining the Calorie Restriction Society, a California group which believes that eating less than half the recommended 2,000 calories a day can lead to physiological changes that slow the ageing process.

There are natural products, already available on the market, such as the Life Extension Metabolic Modulator, which contains beta-glucans and cytokinins, which help the body reduce insulin levels.

Countless studies show these natural food components play a vital role in maintaining already healthy blood sugar levels, body weight, and cardiovascular function.

The new Metabolic Modulator provides missing constituents naturally found in oats and barley. The result is a neutral-tasting, easy to mix soluble fiber that can help modulate after-meal blood sugar effects, along with the insulin response to a meal containing carbohydrates.1-3

The beta-glucan in Metabolic Modulator slows the absorption of carbohydrates into the bloodstream, thereby helping to maintain already healthy levels of after-meal blood glucose (sugar) and insulin that promote fat gain and contribute to a host of degenerative problems.

The natural cytokinins found in Metabolic Modulator help promote cardiovascular health by keeping cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and even harmful C-reactive protein within already healthy levels. Unlike store-bought barley, this patented powder is specially concentrated using a process that precisely controls the malting and sprouting of the barley to yield a product that is exceptionally rich in the bioactive cytokinin compounds.

Adding a serving of Metabolic Modulator once or twice daily to your food or beverage is a perfect way to help modulate blood glucose and optimize your health.

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