What low-calorie diet can prolong life, according to a new study

Researchers have discovered details in mice about how different types of restrictive diets can make them live longer. The details

Advances in medicine have achieved healthy aging, allowing us to live longer with a good quality of life. In this sense, calorie restriction is the intervention that has proven most effective in prolonging the lifespan of different organisms.

However, scientists continue to study why these types of restrictive diets work to extend lifespan and, most importantly, how to implement them in humans.

A new study published in the journal Nature provides a possible answer. For the research, a team from the Jackson Laboratory in the United States monitored the health of nearly 1,000 genetically distinct mice (to better represent the genetic diversity of the human population) that followed a variety of diets.

                                                                                  

The study concluded that eating fewer calories had a greater impact on lifespan than periodic fasting, and revealed that very low-calorie diets generally extended the mice's lifespan. However, there was one caveat: those who lived longer on restrictive diets were those who lost the least weight despite eating less.

 How the Study Was Conducted

For the research, they worked with 937 female mice, over six months old, who were randomly assigned to one of five groups: ad libitum feeding, or eating freely; one day per week of fasting; two consecutive days per week of fasting; 20% calorie restriction; and 40% calorie restriction.

The mice remained on the diet throughout their natural lifespans. They were monitored through periodic blood tests and a comprehensive health assessment.

 The results showed that mice on unrestricted diets lived an average of 25 months; those on intermittent fasting diets lived an average of 28 months; Those who ate 80% of their basic calories lived an average of 30 months, and those who ate 60% of their basic calories lived 34 months.

 According to the study, very low-calorie diets prolonged the mice's lifespans, regardless of their body fat or glucose levels, both markers of metabolic health and aging.

To the researchers' surprise, the mice that lived the longest on the restrictive diets were those that lost the least weight despite eating less. The animals that lost the most weight on these diets tended to have low energy, compromised immune and reproductive systems, and shorter lifespans.

 Professor Gary Churchill said: “Our study underscores the importance of resilience. The strongest animals maintain their weight even in the face of stress and calorie restriction, and they live the longest. It also suggests that a more moderate level of calorie restriction could be the way to balance long-term health and longevity.”

                                                                              

When the researchers analyzed the rest of their data, they found that genetic factors had a much greater impact on longevity than diet.

“If you want to live a long time, there are things you can control throughout your life, like diet, but really what you want is a very old grandmother,” said Professor Churchill.

“While calorie restriction is generally good for longevity, our data show that losing weight with calorie restriction is actually bad for longevity,” Churchill explained. “So when we look at human trials of longevity drugs and see that people are losing weight and have better metabolic profiles, it turns out that might not be a good indicator of their future longevity,” the researcher noted.

When the researchers analyzed the rest of their data, they found that genetic factors had a much greater impact on longevity than diet.

“If you want to live a long time, there are things you can control throughout your life, like diet, but really what you want is a very old grandmother,” said Professor Churchill.

 “While calorie restriction is generally good for longevity, our data show that losing weight with calorie restriction is actually bad for longevity,” Churchill explained. “So when we look at human trials of longevity drugs and see that people are losing weight and have better metabolic profiles, it turns out that might not be a good indicator of their future longevity,” the researcher noted.