“We think we’ve created a type of insatiable hunger in flies,” said Weaver. “And by doing so, the flies lived longer.”
Reference: “Effects of hunger on neuronal histone modifications slow aging in Drosophila ” by K. J. Weaver, R. A. Holt, E. Henry, Y. Lyu and S. D. Pletcher, 11 May 2023, Science . DOI: 10.1126/science.ade1662
Giving flies isoleucine makes them less hungry and eat less… but they have shorter rather than longer lifetime.
This ought to worry those who take advantage of some rather popular medications that help reducing weight without hunger, such as GLP1-R agonists.
This research supports my usual advising of trying to enjoy the feeling of hunger as very helpful for body and mind. As the research states, it is motivational, so it is like sexual desire/hunger, not a pain we need to be stressed about.
In particular, calorie restriction delays aging, reduces mortality, and extends life. Ghrelin, which is secreted during fasting, is well known as an orexigenic peptide. Because ghrelin is increased by caloric restriction, ghrelin may play an important role in the mechanism of longevity mediated by calorie restriction.