Printed within the journal Vitamins, the EuroMed-funded examine discovered that pomegranate extract elevated ranges of insulin-like progress factor-1 (IGF-1), a hormone that helps regular cell progress and improvement, however naturally declines with age.
Low ranges of IGF-1 have been linked to elevated oxidative stress and decreased muscle mass and bone mineral density, in addition to an elevated threat of heart problems, sort 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Nevertheless, very excessive ranges are additionally related to damaging results on longevity, with research displaying that extreme ranges can improve most cancers threat.
This implies there’s a ‘Goldilocks’ zone of IGF-1 ranges, in line with Andrea Zangara, Scientific Communication Advisor at EuroMed, with EuroMed’s pomegranate extract (marketed as Pomanox) selling a doubtlessly useful improve.
“The modest rise aligns with a physiological ‘candy spot’, complementing different findings from the identical trial: decrease IL-6/IL-1β—or decreased inflammaging—decreased systolic blood stress, and improved cognitive flexibility. Collectively, these level to a coordinated impression on a number of hallmarks of ageing,” he informed NutraIngredients.
What’s IGF-1 and the way is it linked to wholesome growing old?
IGF-1 is a hormone which has been more and more acknowledged for its position in growing old and longevity. Nevertheless, the researchers from Manchester Metropolitan College, the College of Surrey and the College of Edinburgh say its position stays “controversial”.
Whereas the findings of a giant assessment concluded that elevated ranges of IGF-1 might play a protective role in vascular aging, a big evaluation of practically 400,000 blood samples has proven that prime ranges of IGF-1 can also increase the risk of thyroid cancer, along with colorectal, breast and prostate most cancers.
“From a gerontological perspective, IGF-1 is a double-edged hormone: whereas very excessive ranges could also be undesirable in some contexts, age-related IGF-1 decline is linked to sarcopenia, frailty, vascular dysfunction, and decreased bone mineral density,” Zangara mentioned.
“In older adults, restoring IGF-1 in the direction of mid-physiological ranges is related to higher muscle perform, metabolic well being, and vascular integrity—all key to longevity and wholesome ageing,” he added.
Certainly, one massive examine together with greater than 550 adults additionally reported a big affiliation between higher IGF-1 and longer telomere length, a biomarker of mobile growing old.
Telomeres are protecting caps on the finish of chromosomes that progressively shorten with age, contributing to mobile and organic growing old. It has due to this fact been recommended that telomere size measurement might function a promising scientific software for age-related illnesses.
Analysis means that polyphenols might assist slow the shortening of telomeres, indicating a doubtlessly protecting impact towards mobile growing old. Nevertheless, their affect on circulating IGF-1 seems extra complicated, as they’ve been proven to each improve and reduce its expression.
The researchers due to this fact got down to uncover whether or not supplementation with pomegranate extract, which is excessive in polyphenols, might impression telomere size and circulating IGF-1 ranges.
Research particulars
To conduct their examine, Farhat et al. randomly assigned 72 individuals between the ages of 55 and 70 to obtain both pomegranate extract (Pomanox) or placebo (maltodextrin) for 12 weeks.
Anthropometric measurements, blood stress readings and blood samples have been taken at baseline, midway by and on the finish of the examine. Telomere size and serum IGF-1 ranges have been additionally measured.
On the finish of the examine interval, circulating IGF-1 ranges confirmed a small however important improve within the pomegranate extract group, with ranges remaining largely unchanged within the placebo group.
“The IGF-1 improve was modest and inside physiological ranges for older adults — a stage that helps tissue restore and resilience, not pathological overactivation. This confirms the dietary long-term security of Pomanox on the studied dose,” Zangara mentioned.
Nevertheless, telomere size was not affected, contrasting with the findings of earlier animal research. The researchers recommended this could possibly be because of the comparatively quick examine interval, or the age vary and baseline well being standing of individuals.
“Our examine inhabitants was bodily lively and free from persistent illness, which can have influenced the outcomes by decreasing the potential for observable enhancements in telomere size,” they wrote.
“Notably, telomere size is a comparatively steady biomarker that sometimes adjustments regularly over lengthy durations, even years. Subsequently, the 12-week period of our examine might have been inadequate to detect measurable adjustments in telomere size.”
They really helpful that future analysis think about assessing telomerase exercise, as it might function a extra delicate indicator of short-term telomere adjustments.
The place subsequent?
Total, the examine concluded that the reasonable improve in circulating IGF-1 ranges is prone to be useful with out posing opposed results—emphasizing that this speculation requires additional investigation with longer human intervention research.
As the primary examine to evaluate the impact of pomegranate extract on telomere size and IGF-1 ranges in people, the researchers famous that it supplies essential insights into how polyphenol-rich meals and dietary supplements might impression wholesome growing old
“The findings of this examine counsel that every day supplementation with 740 mg of pomegranate extract might elevate IGF-1 ranges, indicating its potential to help wholesome growing old in older adults, though the broader implications for longevity stay to be clarified,” they wrote.
“Future analysis ought to concentrate on long-term, large-scale research to substantiate these results and additional examine the potential long-term results of pomegranate extract on counteracting telomere shortening and contributing to improved lifespan.”
Supply: Vitamins. doi: 10.3390/nu17182974. “Results of Pomegranate Extract on IGF-1 Ranges and Telomere Size in Older Adults (55–70 Years): Findings from a Randomised Double-Blinded Managed Trial.” Authors: G. Farhat, et al.
