INFLUENCE OF DIETARY SUCROSE ON BIOLOGICAL AGING

The segment of the population aged > 65 y is the fastest growing age segment in most developed countries. The increasing numbers of individuals living into their eighth and ninth decades of life have shifted the focus of biomedical research from seeking mechanisms for extending life to finding ways to improve health and to reduce age-related morbidity. One area of research that has shown considerable promise for improving the health of elderly people is nutrition. I review recent literature pertinent to the influences of nutrition on biological aging by discussing the effects of dietary sucrose and other carbohydrates on glucose homeostasis, age-related disorders and pathology, and life span. Although critical gaps remain in our understanding of how dietary sucrose can affect biological aging, evidence exits that the type and amount of dietary carbohydrate can significantly affect the health and life span of elderly people.