Can Calorie Restriction Slow Aging?
WE CAN SLOW OUR AGING PACE by about two to three percent if we lower our caloric intake by one-quarter. Can calorie restriction slow aging? The answer might be yes, according to a new multi-institutional research study.
Today we examine this first-of-its-kind randomized study in humans. Researchers recently published the study results in Nature Aging.
Background — Can calorie restriction slow aging?
Calorie restriction has been studied in various species, from yeast and worms to mice and non-human primates, and consistently extends lifespan and improves healthspan. However, it is still unclear whether calorie restriction can have the same effects on human aging.
Studies in humans have shown that calorie restriction can improve metabolic and cardiovascular health and may even reduce the risk of age-related diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
However, the evidence for whether calorie restriction can slow aging in humans is still inconclusive.
One reason is that it is difficult to study the effects of calorie restriction on aging in humans due to the need for long-term studies and the difficulty in controlling for other factors that could impact aging.
Additionally, the optimal level of calorie restriction for promoting human health and longevity must be well-established.
Overall, while the evidence for the effects of calorie restriction on human aging is still inconclusive, reducing caloric intake and improving dietary quality can have significant health benefits and improve the overall quality of life as we age.
The new study — Calorie restriction and aging
Senior author Dr. Daniel Belsky reminds us that “in worms, flies, and mice, the calorie restriction can slow biological processes of aging and extend healthy lifespan.” He explains that the current study “aimed to test if calorie restriction also slows biological aging in humans.”
Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health (USA) researchers led a study showing that calorie restriction can slow aging in healthy adults.
Calorie restriction (by one-quarter) slowed the pace of aging, as measured by subjects’ blood DNA methylation. The intervention led to a two to three percent slowing in the aging pace. Other studies suggest this might translate to a 10 to 15 percent drop in early mortality, an effect similar to stopping smoking cigarettes.
The CALERIE™ Phase-2 randomized controlled trial. The United States National Institute on Aging provided funding for this first-ever look at the effects of long-term caloric restriction in healthy, non-obese adults.
At three American sites, the scientists randomized 220 healthy women and men to a 25 percent calorie restriction versus a normal diet for two years. The acronym CALERIE™ stands for “Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy.”
This study is the first of its kind in humans to add to animal study evidence that the rate of aging is modifiable.
Let’s briefly look at how the researchers determined aging. Dr. Belsk’s team analyzed blood samples from the study volunteers before the diet intervention and after 12- and 24-months of follow-up.
Given humans typically live for many decades, it was not practical to follow the study participants until there were differences in aging-linked disease or survival. Instead, the researchers turned to biomarkers associated with biological aging.
The team analyzed methylation marks on DNA taken from white blood cells. These marks are chemical tags on DNA sequences charged with regulating gene expression. These tags change with aging.
The investigators focused on three measures of DNA methylation. Two of the measurements (PhenoAge and GrimAge clocks) estimate biological age (the chronological age at which a person’s biology would appear “normal.”) The third (DunedinPACE) measures aging pace.
Only the pace of aging DunedinPace test showed an effect of the intervention. The other epigenetic clocks demonstrated no differences between the two study groups.
My take
The study hints that slowing human aging might be possible. I look forward to more on the topic, including whether we can use epigenetic testing to demonstrate any anti-aging effects of interventions such as intermittent fasting (time-restricted feeding).
I also look forward to seeing if the reported short-term effects seen in this trial will translate into longer-term drops in aging-related chronic diseases.
Daniel Belsky and colleagues developed DunedinPACE grant R01AG061378 and utilized resources provided by the CALERIE Research Network (R33AG070455) and the Dunedin Study (R01AG032282). Coauthors received additional support from the American Brain Foundation and US Nationa Institutes of Health grants.
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider if you seek medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
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