Research

Hormonal

Constitutive upregulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway is a primary mechanism for extended healthspan and longevity in naturally long-lived species, acting as a master regulator of cytoprotection against oxidative stress, inflammation, and protein damage.

Focus on lifestyle factors that naturally activate the Nrf2 pathway, such as exercise and consuming phytochemicals found in plants (e.g., sulforaphane from broccoli, curcumin), rather than relying solely on antioxidant supplements. This supports the body's natural defense mechanisms against aging and disease.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
We hypothesize that this signaling pathway plays a critical role in the determination of species longevity and that this pathway may indeed be the master regulator of the aging process.
Kaitlyn N. Lewis et al. · Integrative and Comparative Biology · 2010

Why this rating

The paper is a review/hypothesis paper based on comparative biology and knockout studies, not a direct clinical trial.

Source

Nrf2, a Guardian of Healthspan and Gatekeeper of Species Longevity

Kaitlyn N. Lewis et al. · Integrative and Comparative Biology · 2010

DOI 10.1093/icb/icq034

narrative_reviewCited 243×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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