Fountain of youth? Study finds new anti-ageing compound in plant

In Japan, the slightly bitter leaves of the Ashitaba plant have long been considered healthy, and a new study has found the traditional belief may have good scientific grounds.

A natural substance in the plant appears to induce a key process that helps remove the "cellular garbage" that can build up as cells age and cause a range of diseases and disorders.

"It is always nice to find a scientific rationale for traditional medical folk tales," said Frank Madeo, a professor at the University of Graz's Institute of Molecular Biosciences, in Austria.

Madeo, who helped lead the research, said the substance known as 4,4'-dimethoxychalcone or DMC, which occurs naturally in Ashitaba plants, induces a process called autophagy.

"This is a cleansing and recycling process," he told AFP. It removes "superfluous material, especially cellular garbage like aggregated proteins."

That "cleaning" process is key to sustained good health as the body ages. When cells fail to promptly and efficiently remove damaged parts, they can build up and that can lead to diseases including cancer.

There are already a handful of compounds known to scientists that work to stimulate the cleaning process. Fasting...