A low-calorie diet may slow aging in healthy adults.
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This has been highlighted by researchers, without knowing exactly why, according to NBC News.
By slowing aging, a diet that has been reduced in calories would increase the longevity of healthy adults, according to the study published Thursday in the journal “Nature Aging”.
In phase two of the clinical trial, which took place over two years, 220 randomly selected adults were asked to cut calories from their diets by 25%, or 500 calories for people who typically eat 2,000. per day, or to make no change.
Subjects who were required to limit their calorie intake were served three prepared meals each day for the first month to familiarize themselves with portion sizes. They also received dietary counseling for the first 24 weeks.
Participants who were instructed not to change anything were given no dietary advice or restrictions.
Dr. Evan Hadley, director of the department of geriatrics and clinical gerontology at the National Institute of Aging, said most people in the calorie-restricted group ultimately only reduced daily intake by 12 percent, but that was enough to see changes.
To measure the rate of aging, the researchers used an algorithm to see how certain DNA markers in the blood changed over time.
The algorithm was designed using data previously obtained from a panel of around 1,000 people, who were followed for 20 years to observe how quickly their organs deteriorated as they aged.
The researchers found that participants who reduced their calorie intake actually reduced their aging by 2-3% compared to those who did not, which could correspond to a 10-15% reduction in the risk of dying young.