To Your Health
February, 2023 (Vol. 17, Issue 02) |
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Fewer Calories, Slower Aging
By Editorial Staff
It seems simple enough, right? But if it were that simple, obesity wouldn't be at epidemic levels in the U.S. and elsewhere; and not nearly as many people would die "before their time" from related health issues. Step one: understanding why consuming fewer calories can make a big difference – even in healthy adults; and how much of a change in daily calorie intake it takes.
Funded by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, a new study examined the impact of "long-term calorie restriction in healthy, non-obese humans." Researchers randomized 220 men and women to a 25 percent calorie-restriction or normal diet for two years. They analyzed a specific biomarker of biological aging via blood samples collected at baseline and the one-year and two-year mark: DNA methylation, which is known to change with aging.
Results: Study participants on calorie restriction reduced their "pace" of aging, compared to participants not on calorie restriction. In other words, from a biological perspective, people who restricted their calories by 25 percent aged more slowly than people who didn't. (Ideally, if you're 60 years old, you want to be biologically younger than 50, not older. Unfortunately, these days too many people are much older biologically than their chronological age due to unhealthy lifestyle habits.)
Why could fewer calories equal slower biological aging? For one, fewer calories can help you maintain a normal weight, particularly with age when it can be more challenging to avoid those "extra pounds." For another, the health consequences of excess caloric intake aren't just measured in pounds; we're talking about serious health consequences that oftentimes are attributable to eating too many of the wrong calories (processed / sugary foods rather than healthier, natural foods). Fewer calories in exchange for slower, healthier aging? Why not give it try?
