Calorie controlled diet and ageing

[Guest guest]

Another study, another positive indication:

Eating a little less could mean living a lot longer

by JENNY HOPE, Daily Mail

Eating less really can lead to a longer life, scientists claimed

yesterday.

The first human study on a calorie-controlled diet resulted in

reduced signs of ageing.

It found that just six months on the regime cut volunteers' chances

of developing diseases associated with old age such as cancer.

The US study supported previous research on monkeys which established

a link between diet and longevity.

A team from Louisiana State University monitored a group of 48

overweight men and women aged between 25 and 50 over six months.

A quarter of them were put on a diet of 25 per cent fewer calories

than they would be expected to eat for their age and weight.

Another quarter had their calorie intake reduced by 12.5 per cent and

were also put on a strict exercise regime.

A third group stuck to a very strict diet of 890 calories a day -

which compares with UK guidelines for people with low activity levels

of 1,640 calories for women and 2,550 for men.

The remainder were placed on a regime designed to maintain their

weight. The volunteers on the fewest calories lost 14 per cent of

their body weight on average over the six months, while the other

calorie-restricted dieters both lost 10 per cent.

All of those who cut down on their calories showed a fall in average

core body temperature and reduced fasting insulin levels, both linked

to living longer.

The rate at which their DNA decayed - a natural process - also

slowed, reducing their chances of developing mutations and

degenerative diseases related to ageing such as cancer.

The study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical

Association today, follows research earlier this year which found

that the hearts of people on calorie-controlled diets appeared more

elastic than others of the same age and gender.

After an average of six years on the regime, the Washington

University experiment established that their hearts were able to

relax between beats in a manner associated with much younger people.

Dr Luigi Fontana, who led the Washington study, said the latest

research was the first to show a significant decline in DNA damage

from calorie restriction.

He said: " The value of these studies is that they suggest possible

mechanisms of ageing in humans and points of intervention to modify

the effects of ageing. "

Dr Fontana's colleague, Holloszy, who originally found caloric

restriction increased lifespan in mice and rats by 30 per cent, said

the research was a turning point.

He said: " It's becoming clear from studies that calorie restriction

does change some of the markers we associate with ageing. "

Doctors Fontana and Holloszy will soon begin a study into the effects

of a calorie-restricted diet over two years.

" We know people on calorie restriction will lose weight, " Dr Fontana

said. " But this study isn't a weight-loss study. We're hoping to

learn more about whether calorie restriction can alter the ageing

process. "

In long-term studies on monkeys carried out by the US National

Institutes of Health, those on calorie-controlled diets suffered

fewer ailments such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

One of the underfed monkeys reached 38 years, the human equivalent of

114 years.

Experts believe cutting calories works by causing biochemical changes

in the body, reducing free radicals, the toxic particles created by

the breakdown of food which are more difficult to eradicate in an

ageing body.