A recently conducted study has found a new anti-aging compound in plant that can help slow down the aging process and cut down the possibilities of getting various diseases.

A new study has found that the leaves of Ashitaba plant found in Japan are healthy. A natural substance in the plant induce an important process that helps remove the ‘cellular garbage’ that can build up as cells age and cause many diseases and disorders.

Madeo claimed that the substance known as 4,4’-dimethoxychalcone (DMC) occurs naturally in Ashitaba plants and induces a process called autophagy.

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“This is a cleansing and recycling process,” explained lead researcher Frank Madeo. “It removes superfluous material, especially cellular garbage like aggregated proteins."

That ‘cleaning’ process is significant to sustained good health as the body ages. When cells fail to rapidly and efficiently remove damaged parts, they can build up leading to several diseases including cancer.

The team tested DMC on yeast and looked at how it affected the yeast cells. They found that it was helping protect the yeast cells from aging and that the substance performed as well or even better than some existing compounds known for their cell-protective capacity like resveratrol, which occurs in grape skin.

They then tested DMC in worms, mice and fruit flies with similar results. “Remarkably, chronic DMC treatment prolonged the median lifespan of both model organisms by approximately 20%,” read the study published in Nature Communications.

However, the research is still in its early stages and Madeo says the next steps will include testing if the positive results of DMC in mice hearts extend more to protect them against aging and aging-related diseases.

“The experiments indicate that the effects of DMC might be transferable to humans, although we have to be cautious and wait for real clinical trials,” said Madeo. “Eventually, clinical trials on humans are needed.”