{"id":18783,"date":"2026-05-07T22:10:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/18783\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T22:10:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T22:10:57","slug":"japanese-scientists-discover-garlic-may-help-slow-aging-health-and-wellness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/18783\/","title":{"rendered":"Japanese scientists discover garlic may help slow aging | Health and Wellness"},"content":{"rendered":"

A compound derived from garlic<\/a> could help slow down the aging process<\/a>, according to new research.<\/p>\n

It has the “potential” to reduce natural muscle wastage as people get older, say scientists.<\/p>\n

The study shows that S-1-propenyl-L-cysteine (S1PC) \u2014 a bioactive compound found in aged garlic extract \u2014 could have anti-aging properties.<\/p>\n

The Japanese research team explained that S1PC promotes inter-organ communication between fat tissue and the brain, ultimately enhancing muscle strength.<\/p>\n

It could be used as a daily supplement to improve muscle frailty<\/a> and general fitness in older people, according to the study published in the journal Cell Metabolism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Scientists from the Institute for Research on Productive Aging<\/a> (IRPA) in Tokyo teamed up with Wakunaga Pharmaceutical<\/a>, a leading firm for products of aged garlic extract, based in Hiroshima.<\/p>\n

The team uncovered how the S1PC compound works in the body to influence muscle function during aging.<\/p>\n

\"pexels-freestockpro-12955789\"<\/p>\n

(Photo by Atlantic Ambience via Pexels)<\/p>\n

By Talker<\/p>\n

Study first author Kiyoshi Yoshioka said: “During my clinical experience as a physical therapist, I was often frustrated to see older adults lose physical function and vitality simply because they had no specific disease requiring medical treatment.<\/p>\n

“This gap in proactive care has driven my research.<\/p>\n

“We hope our findings will help improve fitness and muscle strength in older individuals by the simple inclusion of a nutraceutical as part of the daily diet.”<\/p>\n

Anti-aging research has gained a lot of traction due to people living longer worldwide, and the higher healthcare burden.<\/p>\n

Drugs that improve age-associated health conditions are currently costly and unsustainable in the long run.<\/p>\n

But existing health diets lack scientific evidence-based backing.<\/p>\n

The Japanese team set out to identify and develop evidence-based anti-aging interventions by investigating natural compounds found in aged garlic<\/a> extract (AGE).<\/p>\n

They found that S1PC, a naturally occurring compound derived from AGE, activates the enzyme liver kinase B1 (LKB1), a key regulator of cellular metabolism.<\/p>\n

\"pexels-sami-aksu-48867324-10258187\"<\/p>\n

(Photo by Sami Aksu via Pexels)<\/p>\n

By Talker<\/p>\n

Yoshioka explained that S1PC enhances the formation of a protein complex involving LKB1, which leads to activation of the SIRT1 pathway that promotes secretion of extracellular NAMPT (eNAMPT) from fat tissue.<\/p>\n

He says the enzyme eNAMPT is key to the synthesis of NAD+, a small essential molecule involved in cell protection, DNA repair, and energy production.<\/p>\n

Rather than acting directly on muscle, Yoshioka says eNAMPT within extracellular vesicles (eNAMPT-EVs) released from fat tissue travels through the bloodstream and acts on the hypothalamus, a key regulatory center in the brain.<\/p>\n

He said: “This interaction is associated with increased sympathetic nervous signalling, which contributes to improved muscle function.<\/p>\n

“The findings reveal a novel communication pathway linking fat tissue, the brain, and skeletal muscle, offering new insights into how aging-related functional<\/a> decline may be regulated.”<\/p>\n

The functional benefits of S1PC were further evaluated in aged mice.<\/p>\n

Long-term administration of S1PC was found to reduce frailty scores, increase skeletal muscle force, and restored core body temperature.<\/p>\n

\"pexels-picasjoe-11362694\"<\/p>\n

(Photo by Picas Joe via Pexels)<\/p>\n

By Talker<\/p>\n

A human study showed that S1PC increased eNAMPT levels in circulation, particularly in people with sufficient fat tissue.<\/p>\n

The research team say the discovery that the distinct effect of S1PC on eNAMPT-EV secretion is conserved between cells, mice, and humans has “significant” implications for the use of S1PC as a potential anti-aging treatment in humans.<\/p>\n

Dr. Shin-ichiro Imai, chairman of the IRPA<\/a>, said: “Our findings present a previously unrecognised and unique function of S1PC in activating LKB1, and in promoting an inter-organ communication that ameliorates muscle frailty.<\/p>\n

“We anticipate that S1PC is likely to have a broader anti-aging effect that warrants detailed investigation.”<\/p>\n

The researchers said, as a component of traditional medicine, AGE has been taken for generations with no reports of adverse effects.<\/p>\n

Imai added: “We have succeeded in expanding the current understanding of how different organs coordinate responses during aging.<\/p>\n

“Further research is needed to determine improvements in muscle function in humans and to evaluate the long-term effects of S1PC.<\/p>\n

“The presence and possible role of LKB1 in the brain also needs evaluation.”<\/p>\n

The findings are also due to be presented at a conference in Florida next month.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A compound derived from garlic could help slow down the aging process, according to new research. It has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18784,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[14824,6039,7128,14826,7465,14827,14833,14829,14831,14832,2789,8,17,7995,14828,14825,14830,14823,9209],"class_list":{"0":"post-18783","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-japan","8":"tag-adipose-tissue","9":"tag-ageing","10":"tag-biochemistry","11":"tag-biology","12":"tag-biotechnology","13":"tag-cell-biology","14":"tag-cell-signaling","15":"tag-cellular-processes","16":"tag-fat","17":"tag-health-sciences","18":"tag-homepage","19":"tag-japan","20":"tag-japanese","21":"tag-life-sciences","22":"tag-molecular-biology","23":"tag-nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide","24":"tag-secretion","25":"tag-skeletal-muscle","26":"tag-stephen-beech"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}