Caloric restriction activates SIRT1 in heart muscle; fasting activates it by promoting hepatic ketogenesis.
View the study (review) →SIRT1 protects against heart failure by improving insulin sensitivity in the myocardium.
View the study (preclinical) →Sirtuins regulate fatty acid oxidation, mitochondrial biogenesis, and the stress response; resveratrol, EGCG, exercise, and NAD+ precursors (NR, NMN) activate them.
View the study (review) →*⏱ 2 min read
Sirtuins are highly conserved enzymes that play key roles in longevity and healthy lifespan in multiple organisms; they are linked to the regulation of a variety of metabolic processes, including insulin release, lipid mobilization, the stress response, and the modulation of life expectancy; they have been implicated in the pathophysiology of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and many other age-related conditions.
There are seven known sirtuins in mammals, SIRT1 through SIRT7, with varied functions and different cellular locations; the most studied sirtuin, SIRT1, is the most similar to the yeast sirtuins that have been studied extensively; SIRT1 deacetylates histones and a variety of non-histone proteins to regulate gene expression, DNA repair, autophagy, apoptosis, metabolism, inflammation, circadian rhythms, and cell survival; sirtuins require NAD+ to function, which directly links sirtuin activity to NAD+ levels that decline with age.
Sirtuins respond to physiological changes in energy levels and regulate energy homeostasis; caloric restriction activates SIRT1 in cardiac muscle and protects against heart failure by improving cardiac insulin sensitivity; fasting activates SIRT1, promoting hepatic fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis, and fasting-mediated sirtuin activation improved the health and survival of rhesus monkeys subjected to caloric restriction in a long-term longevity study.
Resveratrol, a compound in red wine, activates SIRT1 in animal models and may mediate some of the cardioprotective effects of moderate red wine consumption; exercise activates SIRT1 in skeletal muscle through the activation of AMPK; EGCG from green tea and quercetin from onions and apples activate FOXO3 through sirtuin-related mechanisms; and NAD+ precursors such as NR and NMN raise the NAD+ levels available to sirtuins, potentially improving sirtuin function in tissues where NAD+ is depleted by aging.
Information, not medical advice. Scientific evidence reflects the quality of the studies.