A diet involving eating less, while still getting enough
vitamins and nutrients is of great interest. Researchers find
that calorie restriction diets extend the lives of animals. It
is unknown if the anti-aging diets help people to extend their
lives. Limited studies have been done in people.
Animal studies focused on insects and animals with short life
spans. Researchers found animals on restricted diets live
longer. They also found that calorie restriction diets are more
important to the life span than striving to maintain healthy
weight and exercising regularly. There are studies under way
involving animals with longer life spans and will take years to
finish. There is promise with the preliminary results in
monkeys.
Although scientists have doubts about actual positive effects of
the anti-aging calorie restriction diet, calorie restriction
research may give doctors clues about the aging process and
aging may be slowed.
The way a calorie restriction diet works is to eat less than
your body needs to maintain your normal weight. How much less a
person eats varies. People who follow a calorie restriction diet
hope to slow the aging process and live longer.
The diet involves restricting how much food you eat and
carefully monitoring food intake to ensure getting enough
vitamins and nutrients. Choices consist of foods full of
nutrients, but low in calories, such as vegetables and whole
grains.
The benefits of short trials of calorie restriction diets in
people include:
•Blood pressure
•Blood sugar
•Body fat percentage
•Cholesterol levels
•Heart rate
•Weight
These benefits are healthy changes that may reduce the risk of
chronic disease later in life and therefore create longer life
for humans.
Risks of calorie restriction diets include:
•Reduced bone density
•Loss of muscle mass
•Anemia
•Memory loss
•Dizziness
•Depression
Studies show that getting inadequate amounts of vitamins and
nutrients can lead to serious problems such as heart failure and
death. Studies show that people with the lowest range body mass
index scores have a higher risk of death than do those with
normal scores. The studies do not take into account undiagnosed
cancer or other serious illnesses that may have caused the
weight loss. However, the study results do give us a cause to be
cautious when considering the calorie restriction diets as a
means of prolonging life. They may end up doing just the
opposite for some individuals. There is also very little known
about long-term effects of calorie restriction diets in people
who have a healthy weight.
If you are considering a calorie restricted diet first discuss
it with your doctor. He or she should be able to explore the
possible benefits and risks of a calorie restriction diet for
you in particular. Getting enough vitamins and nutrients can be
difficult when you eat less food, you may also need to consult
with a certified dietary nutritionist. He or she can help you
decide which foods you should eat to provide you with the
nutrition you need.
Calorie restriction diet studies may help researchers understand
the aging process. The studies may also provide necessary clues
for developing new anti-aging drugs. Once researchers study how
calorie restriction diets work on the body their hope is to
create drugs to work in the same way.
It might be just as good an idea to wait to see what kind of
drugs researchers come up with, that is, if you are young enough
to wait for that conclusion. Otherwise, consult with your doctor
first before starting a calorie restriction diet in the hopes of
anti-aging.
Source: Foundation for Health in Aging
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food
and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not
intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All
health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care
professional.
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