Posted Oct 12, 2009
Eating fewer calories may lengthen life and improve health, at least in monkeys. Starting in 1989, researchers put 76 adult rhesus monkeys on a diet with either 100 percent or 70 percent of their usual calorie intake. To avoid malnutrition, the calorie-restricted animals were given sufficient vitamins and minerals.
After 20 years, 37 percent of the monkeys in the control group – but only 13 percent of those on the calorie-restricted diet – had died of an age-related illness like heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Calorie-restricted monkeys also had less shrinkage in some parts of the brain, less body fat, and less loss of muscle than control monkeys.
What to do: Most people can’t or won’t cut close to a third of their calories, so researchers are looking for alternatives, like cutting calories several days a week. They’re also hunting for drugs that simulate the effects of calorie restriction. In any event, it’s a good idea to avoid eating more calories than you need.
Date: Oct 1, 2009