Calorie Restriction Diets; Can They Really Extend Your Life?

It isn't just those who are overweight who are reducing their calorie intake. There are also quite a few people who deliberately go on a calorie restriction diet; because they believe this to be the longevity diet. There are even those that believe that this type calorie reduced diet can reverse aging. This opinion seems to be steadily gaining the support of science, and there is certainly enough evidence to capture my interest anyway. Not that I'm ready to go to the extremes that those on the diet seem willing to go to, but it is something to think about.

The reason why calorie restriction diets are considered desirable is that they slow down our metabolism and it is this that is believed to lead to many health benefits and anti aging effects. There is already evidence that a calorie reduced diet can lead to longer lives for rats and mice (as much as 30% longer); and there is good reason that the same may be true for humans. Some studies on obese people seem to be back the claims, but more research is needed

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One way that calorie restriction diets are believed to extend life is by decreasing insulin; this is believed to increase the process by which the body removes dead cells. It may also be the case that a slower metabolism will mean lower free radicals; this is good because free radicals are damaging to the body. Calorie restriction dietscan also lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and even lower core body temperature. Another nice benefit of this type of diet is said to improve memory.

As well as the possibility of long life there are also dangers associated with this type of diet. If people become underweight they can die of starvation. There is also the risk of missing out on essential nutrients and having blood sugar levels falling dangerously low. It can also make people cranky and lower their libido.

The evidence for a reduced calorie diet is quite impressive, but I'm still not completely convinced. I want to do things to improve my health, but I'm not sure that making living longer the main focus of my thinking to be such a great thing; life should be about living and not about postponing dying. Not overeating seems to be wise advice, but living hungry and focusing so much on not eating seems a bit extreme. Maybe my mind will change in a few years. A calorie restricted diet for aging will likely gain a lot more interest if more studies can prove its effectiveness.

Sources

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/05/health/05diet.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4875614.stm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-10-23-bare-minimum-diet_x.htm