Previous studies have suggested that sharply reducing calorie intake, by as much as 40 per cent could slow ageing in cells and may even prolong life span.
Now, researchers say they have found a way to mimic the beneficial effects of calorie restriction on the brain with a drug.
The pill can activate an enzyme in brain cells, and the study showed the drug delayed both the cognitive impairment associated with ageing and Alzheimer's disease, and the loss of nerve cells that happens with ageing, 'MyHealthNewsDaily' reported.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focused on how calorie restriction affects brain cells.
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They showed that restricting the calorie intake of laboratory mice by 30 per cent boosted levels of an enzyme in the brain, and delayed the loss of nerve cells that can accompany decline in brain function.
The calorie-deprived mice also did better on memory tests, compared with their well-fed counterparts.
Researchers fed the mice a regular diet, but also gave them the enzyme-blocking drug. These mice had better functioning brain cells, and did better on cognitive tests, just as the mice that were fed a calorie-restricted diet.
This is also the first demonstration of a synthetic molecule that mimics the benefits of caloric restriction, said David Sinclair, professor at Harvard Medical School said.
"What makes this even more interesting is that the [drug] prevented neurodegeneration, one of the hardest degenerative processes to slow down with a drug," Sinclair said.
However, whether calorie restriction could increase human life span is not clear.