{"id":1204,"date":"2023-02-20T17:20:48","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T17:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=1204"},"modified":"2023-02-20T17:20:48","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T17:20:48","slug":"reducing-calories-could-slow-the-aging-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/?p=1204","title":{"rendered":"Reducing Calories Could Slow the Aging Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%20370%20247'%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-12-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"zeen-lazy-load-base zeen-lazy-load wp-image-1205\"\/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-12-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-12-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-12-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-12-770x433.png 770w, https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-12-293x165.png 293w, https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-12-390x219.png 390w, https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/image-12.png 1110w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Study subjects who cut their daily calories by 25 percent slowed their biological aging by 2 to 3 percent.<small>iStock<\/small><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Can restricting calories slow biological aging and help healthy adults live longer? A first-of-its-kind trial in humans suggests that it might.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The landmark&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/nataging?gclid=CjwKCAiA0JKfBhBIEiwAPhZXD8cLghWXApL6Udp0hySuQcAafamCDFch7yNR9ITv1seqLyQSlK6UzhoCf3wQAvD_BwE\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">study, published on February 9 in the journal&nbsp;<em>Nature Aging<\/em><\/a><em>,<\/em>&nbsp;found that a two-year intervention that required participants to cut 25 percent of their daily calories slowed the pace of aging by 2 to 3 percent. This translates to a 10 to 15 percent reduction in mortality risk, the researchers say \u2014 about the same level of risk reduction as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/quit-smoking\/guide\/\">quitting smoking<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur findings are important because they provide evidence from a randomized trial that slowing human aging may be possible,\u201d said&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/aging.columbia.edu\/about\/people\/Ryan\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Calen Ryan, PhD<\/a>, a research scientist at Columbia University\u2019s Butler Aging Center in New York City and co-lead author of the study, in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although many people might find this level of caloric restriction too difficult, the study supports the concept that behavioral changes \u2014 without any drugs \u2014 can have a measurable impact on the pace of aging, Dr. Ryan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis paves the way for future studies of other interventions, such as time-restricted eating or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/diet-nutrition\/diet\/types-intermittent-fasting-which-best-you\/\">intermittent fasting<\/a>, which might be more scalable and achievable in a broader sector of the population,\u201d said Ryan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Calorie Restriction Has Benefits for Metabolism and Heart Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The current study is part of an ongoing investigation called CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy) that began in 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Previous studies using CALERIE trial data have shown multiple benefits from cutting calories. One investigation found that calorie restriction slowed aging-related changes in physiology related to the liver, kidneys, metabolism, blood vessels, and the immune system. Another study showed that calorie restriction reduced risk factors for heart disease and type 2 diabetes and improved cardiovascular and metabolic health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new study was designed to explore those earlier findings. \u201cWe wanted to find out if signs of slowed aging at the organ-system level were also apparent at the cellular level,\u201d says\u00a0<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.publichealth.columbia.edu\/people\/our-faculty\/db3275\" target=\"_blank\">Daniel Belsky, PhD<\/a>, associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health and a scientist at the Butler Aging Center in New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Measure Biological Age?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Decades of research using animal models have demonstrated that caloric restriction (without malnutrition) enhances the life span and so-called health span. But does this hold true for humans?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGiven how long humans live, it\u2019s not feasible to do a rigorous clinical trial to answer this question,\u201d says study coauthor&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dukehealth.org\/find-doctors-physicians\/daniel-c-parker-md?utm_source=google&amp;tum_medium=organic&amp;utm_campaign=Directory+Management\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Daniel Parker, MD<\/a>, geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine and neurology at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Instead, researchers have devoted serious efforts to determine how to measure a person\u2019s \u201cbiological age,\u201d as opposed to their chronological age, to find signs of slowed aging, says Dr. Parker. One promising approach to measuring biological age, he says, is to analyze what\u2019s called the epigenome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile our genetic code remains largely unchanged over the course of our lives, our cells are constantly making reversible modifications to our DNA that turn genes on and off. These reversible modifications to our DNA are referred to as the epigenome,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers can compare these epigenetic changes to a reference population from earlier research to estimate a person\u2019s biological age, says Parker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Study Participants Were Closely Monitored to Make Sure They Were Getting Necessary Nutrients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the most recent CALERIE study, researchers randomly assigned 220 participants to the calorie restriction group or a control group that had no restrictions on their food intake. The calorie restriction group consisted of 143 people (44 men and 99 women), while the control group consisted of 75 people (22 men and 53 women).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study population was 76 percent white, 15 percent African American, and 9 percent Asian, Native American, or Pacific Islander, with an average age of 38. The participants\u2019 average baseline&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/diet-nutrition\/bmi\/\">body mass index (BMI)<\/a>&nbsp;was 25.1, which would place participants in the normal and overweight weight range, per the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhlbi.nih.gov\/health\/educational\/lose_wt\/BMI\/bmi-m.htm\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Scientists used sophisticated techniques to estimate how many calories each person needed to maintain their body weight. Then they took that baseline and set individual goals that shaved 25 percent from that number \u2014 so if a person\u2019s baseline was 2,000 calories a day, they were supposed to consume 1,500 calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That target level of 25 percent was selected because this degree of calorie restriction has had the best results in improving life span and health span in animal models and was found to be feasible in most participants in the original pilot study from 2006, according to the authors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s important to note that this was a study of moderate caloric restriction&nbsp;<em>without malnutrition,\u201d&nbsp;<\/em>says Parker. Individuals who were underweight, depressed, or had a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/diabetes\/understanding\/diabetes-mellitus-through-time.aspx\">history of diabetes<\/a>, heart disease, or an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/eating-disorders\/guide\/\">eating disorder<\/a>&nbsp;were not enrolled in the study, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone in the study was advised about how to cut calories and still get the recommended nutrients, and they were given options for eating patterns that would accommodate their cultural and individual preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cParticipants in this study were closely monitored throughout the study to make sure they were meeting all their macronutrient requirements, and participants\u2019 weight was closely monitored. If anyone lost too much weight, they were instructed to increase their caloric intake,\u201d Parker says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maintaining a 25 percent calorie reduction proved challenging \u2014 the majority fell short of the goal, and the average calorie reduction was 12 percent by the end of the trial. However, study participants still lost an average of 16 pounds over the course of the two-year study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cReassuringly, there was no evidence that caloric restrictions negatively affected participants\u2019 sleep, cognitive performance, or quality of life,\u201d says Parker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Fewer Calories Resulted in Slower Aging<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To measure the impact of calorie restriction on biological aging, investigators analyzed blood samples collected from trial participants at pre-intervention baseline and after 12 and 24 months of follow-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They found that calorie restriction slowed the pace of biological aging over time. Additionally, there appeared to be a dose-response effect: Participants who reduced their caloric intake to a greater extent had a greater decline in their pace of biological aging, says Parker. \u201cThese findings are exciting because they provide evidence that the pace of biological aging isn\u2019t set in stone, but can be affected by interventions like caloric restriction,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These findings add to what is currently known about calorie intake and biological aging, says&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/school.wakehealth.edu\/faculty\/j\/jamie-nicole-justice\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jamie Justice, PhD<\/a>, researcher and assistant professor of gerontology and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/cancer\/assessment-by-a-geriatrician-improves-cancer-care-for-older-adults\/\">geriatric medicine<\/a>&nbsp;at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Justice was not involved in the CALERIE study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because eating less leads to weight loss (which can have many health benefits), more research is needed to strengthen the findings on how calorie restriction directly impacts aging, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A follow-up of trial participants is now ongoing to determine if the intervention had long-term effects on healthy aging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Would Eating Fewer Calories Slow Down Aging?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In simple terms, the current thinking is that calorie restriction affects nutrient-sensing pathways and energy metabolism in ways that reverse or reduce the effects of aging, says Dr. Belsky. These pathways are called \u201cnutrient-sensing\u201d because nutrient levels influence their activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of that effect is due to a process called hormesis, says Justice. \u201cWhen you give the body or an organism a little bit of a stressor, over time it can activate certain pathways that can actually end up promoting health,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Take exercise as an example, says Justice. \u201cYou\u2019re stressing the body just a little bit and by doing that, some of these key pathways have to change how they function and signal. In a similar fashion, restricting calories also gives your body a little bit of stress at the cellular level and creates changes in pathways that are associated with lifespan, including those that involve human growth hormone and insulin,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Intermittent Fasting or Time-Restricted Eating May Induce Similar Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If caloric restriction isn\u2019t for you, take heart \u2014 there\u2019s growing evidence that other methods may \u201ctrick\u201d the body and achieve similar benefits, says Justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the data is mixed on intermittent fasting as far as its effectiveness in reducing calorie intake, Justice says, \u201cTime restricted eating seems to have really profound effects, especially in people who are in their forties and fifties, who want to either lose a little weight or who are at a healthy weight and just looking to improve their biology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is It Safe to Restrict Calories Over Months or Years?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before adopting any sort of calorie-restrictive diet, talk with your doctor, says Justice. \u201cIt needs to be done under the care and guidance of a professional because it\u2019s not without risks,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As long as a person is getting the recommended amount of nutrients, restricting calories is generally safe, unless they are already underweight or can become underweight due to the caloric restriction, says&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/podcasts\/health-essentials\/intermittent-fasting-with-dietitian-julia-zumpano\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Julia Zumpano, RD<\/a>, with Cleveland Clinic\u2019s Center for Human Nutrition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ideally, a person should first meet with a registered dietitian to help them create a plan and make sure they are meeting all nutrient needs, she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would advise restricting calories from foods and beverages that provide empty calories (very little to no nutrients). Examples include soda, sweetened coffee drinks, punch, lemonade, candy, pastries and cookies, fast foods, chips, sour cream, creamy salad dressings, and cream cheese,\u201d says Zumpano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/longevity\/reducing-calories-could-slow-the-aging-process\/\">https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/longevity\/reducing-calories-could-slow-the-aging-process\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can restricting calories slow biological aging and help healthy adults live longer? A first-of-its-kind trial in humans suggests that it might. The landmark&nbsp;study, published on February 9 in the journal&nbsp;Nature Aging,&nbsp;found that a two-year intervention that required participants to cut 25 percent of their daily calories slowed the pace of aging by 2 to 3 percent. This translates to a 10 to 15 percent reduction in mortality risk, the researchers say \u2014 about the same level of risk reduction as&nbsp;quitting [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-anti-aging"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1204"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1204\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1206,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1204\/revisions\/1206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthnews.zone\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}