Calorie Restriction
The idea that calorie restriction can enhance longevity isn’t a new one. Many animal models have demonstrated that reducing calorie intake by 30-50% can dramatically increase lifespan.
While this info is old hat to scientists, calorie restriction was just thrust into the public eye this week with the following New York Times article. Go ahead and pop over to the site and give it a read. But before dropping your calorie intake by 30-50% just yet, consider the following.
- Does this information translate to humans?
- Are there other ways live longer vs. eating 30-50% less?
- How exactly does CR work and can we mimic that other ways?
- Are there any risks associated with eating this much less?
Second, the current comparisons between a “typical” diet and a calorie restricted one are limited. For example, those eating a “healthy”, Precision Nutrition-style diet would be less likely to suffer the same decline and disease that those eating a “typical” diet would face. So yes, if you’re going to keep up your typical North American diet and refuse to make improvements, calorie restriction might be for you. But that might not be a choice you have to make.
After all, big calorie restriction isn’t easy. As one of the researchers suggested:
“Calorie restriction is doomed to fail, and will make people miserable in the process of attempting it,” said Dr. Jay Phelan, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a co-author of the paper.”
In the end, eating well, supplementing intelligently, and subscribing to a life-long exercise program may prove to be even more powerful than calorie restriction. And you won’t have to suffer the restriction, deprivation, and, well, scrawnyness associated with this approach.
After all, I’m assuming that none of us here want to mimic the physique of Mike Linksvayer, example of a calorie restriction proponent. At 6ft, 135 Mike is severly underweight (certainly a candidate for my Scrawny to Brawny program). Interestingly this low body weight presents its own risks as he ages – studies show that those with low body weight and low muscle mass are at a higher risk for a loss of independence into their elder years due to the natural losses in bone and muscle that occur. So Mike may be healthier than his friends now, but watch out Mike as you age!
And here’s another interesting piece of data…studies are showing that the nutritional supplement resveratrol may work through the same pathways as calorie restriction to enhance longevity. Check this discussion out.
So, folks, don’t stop eating just yet. Although calorie restriction works in animals, it’s not yet proven in humans. And if it does turn out to work in humans, we don’t know how powerful the effects will be. But more to the point, who cares when calorie restriction is so difficult and carries its own risks including exchanging quality of life for longevity.
Why not learn the good lifestyle habits associated with smart eating, proper supplementation, and lifelong exercise? That way you can eat, exercise, and be merry while living long and living well.