http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. There is no longer any doubt that dietary restriction (DR) extends lifespan. Many studies have shown that limiting nutrient intake extends lifespan in yeast, worms, flies and as well as postponing age-related diseases in mice. However, scientists are still puzzling over the exact mechanism of DR, convinced its secrets are the key to new therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even cancer. Research involving the nematode C. elegans at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging sheds new light on a possible mechanism of DR – revealing that a group of lipid signaling molecules called N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) informs the animal of limited or ample nutrients and helps regulate the worm's aging response to changes in its diet. Some of these worm (NAE's) are similar to endocannabinoids in humans, where they regulate many different physiological processes including nutrient intake and energy balance. Thus the link between endocannabinoids, DR and aging could be conserved among species. The study appears in the May 12th edition of Nature. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-endocannabinoid-dietary-restriction-lifespan-extension.html Medical research Wed, 11 May 2011 13:00:16 EST news224337390