Page One
Cal professor helps to defy aging process
A combination of two over-the-counter dietary supplements have reduced the effects of aging in rats, and might do the same for an aging population, according to a recent study.
A team of researchers led by noted scientist Bruce N. Ames, professor of molecular and cell biology at UC Berkeley, fed older rats two compounds, acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid, normally found in the body and available as dietary supplements, and noted the rats had improved memory, more energy and improved energy-producing organelles.
The study was conducted at UC Berkeley and Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute and concluded that the two chemicals “tune up” the energy-producing organelles that power all cells, the mitochondria.