The “middle-age spread” is another term for packing on the pounds during our 30s, 40s and 50s. Scientists have identified that a specific enzyme (DNA-dependent protein kinase, or DNA-PK for short) causes weight gain and loss of ability to do specific exercises at midlife, through converting nutrients to fat and decreasing the amount of mitochondria present in our bodies. Studies are being done now to block DNA-PK activity, which resulted in decreasing fat accumulation and increasing number of mitochondria. Now, studies like this are opening doors to development of supplements that can inhibit DNA-PK activity, and slow down the weight gain in our middle years.
Read more: A cure for the middle-age spread? Scientists believe so…
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