Longevity diet

Authors:

C. M. McCay, R. Walford, R. Weindruch.

History:

In 1930s, C. M. McCay found in his researches that a dietary regimen that reduces calorie intake but maintains micronutrient levels resulted in the increase of the maximum and medium life spans of rats and mice 30–50%. Last years, this technology, due to its simplicity and stable reproducibility, has become one of the leading models in the investigations of fundamental mechanisms of aging and life extension.

Example:

A study of a lifespan was made by the University of Wisconsin in 1989 — 2014. It involved nonhuman primates (rhesus monkeys) and found that caloric restriction primates were only 36.4% as likely to die from age-related causes when compared with control animals, and had only 56.2% the rate of death from any cause.

Description:

Increasing evidence suggests that energy balance is central to both successful ageing and protection from metabolic disorders.
Energy restriction, also known as caloric restriction, is currently the only dietary intervention that is proven to increase longevity and delay the onset of age-related decline in a wide variety of organisms, including Caenorhabditis elegans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Drosophila melanogaster, rodents. Nevertheless, in primates CR appears to not affect longevity, but clearly delay age-associated disorders improving health.
Calorie restriction, or caloric restriction (CR), is a dietary regimen that is based on low calorie intake but without malnutrition. «Low» can be defined relative to the subject’s previous intake before intentionally restricting calories, or relative to an average person of similar body type.
Even though there has been research on CR for over 70 years, the mechanism by which CR works is still not well understood. Some explanations include reduced core body temperature, reduced cellular divisions, lower metabolic rates, reduced production of free radicals, reduced DNA damage and hormesis.

Additions and Criticism:

It should be noted that long-term calorie restriction at a level sufficient for slowing the aging process is generally not recommended in children, adolescents, and young adults (under the age of approximately 21), because this type of diet may interfere with natural physical growth and mental development. Pregnant women and women trying to become pregnant are advised not to practice calorie restriction, because it may result in ovulatory dysfunction (infertility), and underweight mothers are more prone to preterm delivery.

Publications:

• Spindler, Stephen R., Joseph M. Dhahbi, and Patricia L. Mote. «Protein turnover, energy metabolism, aging, and caloric restriction." Advances in cell aging and gerontology 14 (2003): 69–86.
• Ungvari, Zoltan, et al. «Mechanisms Underlying Caloric Restriction and Lifespan Regulation Implications for Vascular Aging." Circulation research 102.5 (2008): 519–528.
• Mattison, Julie A., et al. «Impact of caloric restriction on health and survival in rhesus monkeys from the NIA study." Nature (2012).
• Willcox, Bradley J., et al. «Caloric restriction, the traditional Okinawan diet, and healthy aging." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1114.1 (2007): 434–455.