A Database of Age-Related Metabolic Changes Could Guide Longevity Research

Ever wondered why young people can seemingly eat whatever they like while remaining healthy, while older people have to be careful what they eat and exercise regularly just to stay lean? One of the main reasons for this is that the way the metabolism processes energy from food deteriorates over time. Understanding exactly what these changes are could help guide lifestyle practices aimed at maintaining a youthful metabolism, as well as medical interventions that might increase healthspan/lifespan, or even to one day restore the metabolism to a youthful state.

Researchers from Romania are now facilitating these efforts by compiling a database of all known age-related metabolic changes in healthy humans. The MetaboAge database aims to provide a snapshot of the metabolic state of tissues and organs during ageing, freely accessible to all.

MetaboAge contains 408 metabolites alongside their biological and chemical information, as well as over 1515 ageing-related variations. These are graphically represented on the website and grouped by how they were discovered, by gender, and by age-group. This database will only grow with time, and the researchers hope it will make the field of metabolomics more accessible to ageing research.