Early Research On Reduced Caloric Intake And Longevity

One theory of prolonging your lifespan is the caloric restriction diet. This theory proposes that by reducing your caloric intake, without compromising any nutrition your body needs, you can live longer. The mechanism of action for the calorie restriction diet to promote longevity is simple. Eating fewer calories forces your body to sustain only the absolutely necessary functions for life. Energy is put into maintenance and repair of vital functions, and these changes might change gene expression and cause your to live longer.

Dr. Roy Walford

One of the first scientists to recognize the benefits of eating a calorie-controlled diet was the late Dr. Roy Walford of University of California, Los Angeles. His research, starting in the 1970s, on the caloric restriction diet was so encouraging that Walford took it upon himself to participate in a diet where he ate every other day. He wrote several books on the topic and is one of the pioneering scientists to research the anti-aging diet.

Dr. Richard Weindruch

Dr. Richard Weindruch is another pioneering scientist who is still at the forefront of caloric restriction and longevity research. Some of the earliest research was conducted by Walford and Weindruch together at UCLA. According to Weindruch, most of the research done on caloric restriction has been done with mice and rodents. However, human studies may be soon on the horizon.

Early Research: Weindruch and Walford

One of the more well-known studies of caloric restriction was published in 1986 in the "Journal of Nutrition" by Weindruch and Walford. "The Retardation of Aging Mice by Dietary Restriction: Longevity, Cancer, Immunity and Lifetime Energy Intake" studied the effects of five different diets on mice. The first group of mice were fed on demand, the second group was restricted by 25 percent, the third group was fed 50 calories per week with supplementation to assure adequate nutrition, group four was fed like group three, but calories were restricted before weaning, group five was fed like group three, but protein intake was gradually reduced and group six was fed a restriction of 65 percent fewer calories. The mice fed the sixth diet lived the longest of all the mice in the study and also had improved cancer and immunity outcomes.

Early Research: 1947

As early as 1947, scientists were aware of the impact that diet has on health. A study published in the "American Journal of Physiology" by Zelda Ball and colleagues in 1947 set out to explore the effects of caloric restriction in mice. Scientists took two groups of mice and placed them on an on-demand diet or a diet restricted in carbohydrates and fat to equal only two-thirds of the calories the control group was eating. After 240 days on the diet, the results were clear. The mice fed the calorie-controlled diet lived markedly longer than those in the control group.