Calorie Restriction Diet for Anti-aging

rosebette

Has anyone heard of the Calorie Restriction diet to prevent aging? Some studies show that restricting calories to about 30% below the TDEE actually promotes longevity. There are a couple websites devoted to it. Is anyone familiar with this theory or has anyone tried it?

waldo56

Starve yourself to live longer.

....seems legit.


(Probably works if you're fat, at least for a while. Once you're not fat, that strategy kinda sucks, and you want to do the opposite. Being in a deficit is rough on the body; when you are lean the body is more than willing to tell you this).

SLLRunner

Has anyone heard of the Calorie Restriction diet to prevent aging? Some studies show that restricting calories to about 30% below the TDEE actually promotes longevity. There are a couple websites devoted to it. Is anyone familiar with this theory or has anyone tried it?

Well, if you eat 30% calorie below your TDEE from now until the end of your life....you'll starve yourself into a ghost.

Aging is nothing to be afraid of, and if you're as healthy as you can be then it's all the better. Getting old is a normal process to life, if we are blessed to make it that far (in my opinion).

Please don't fall for that "Calorie Restriction Diet to Prevent Aging," or whatever it is, because it's a silly hoax and is probably designed to take money out of your pocket.

snazzyjazzy21

I'd rather eat food than live longer. Food is delicious, old people seem lonely...

SLLRunner

I'd rather eat food than live longer. Food is delicious, old people seem lonely...

Hey, I'n old and I'm not lonely! I even have a hunky beau. :bigsmile:

Sinisterly

O.o

Hope this wasn't on the Dr. Oz show..

snazzyjazzy21

I'd rather eat food than live longer. Food is delicious, old people seem lonely...

Hey, I'n old and I'm not lonely! I even have a hunky beau. :bigsmile:

Haha our definition of old might be a bit different

PJPrimrose

I have not seen anorexia as a good way to life longer myself. People tend to die from it without medical intervention. Some die with medical intervention but intervention has come a long way. I specialize in working with folks who are at the end of life. Most old folks eat regularly and act pretty normal at a very slow speed. They tend to like game shows and small, yappy dogs. If you want to live a healthy life I suggest 1. stay at a normal weight 2. exercise 3. DO NOT SMOKE. It's not BS, smoking really does cause a crap-ton of problems. As for longevity you'll need to pick your ancestors very carefully. I'm 1/2 Czech and both my grandmothers lived to be 100. I'm pretty well set on good ancestors. All, in all tho, starving yourself is bad.

BRA_S

We are all going to get old, and die. The end.

EvgeniZyntx

It works if you are an inbred mouse. They get up to an extra year. Woot. Not.

jenilla1

Just get down to a healthy weight and then maintain at TDEE - 0%. That's what I do. That's probably smarter than eating at TDEE - 30% until you crash and burn...and die...

Alatariel75

I'm pretty sure TDEE -30% would kill you a lot quicker than many things... You only have so much to burn before you burn out, right?

heybales

Yep, several studies and people do that.

The official Zone diet is some aspect of that included too.

It might indeed be fine at a healthy weight and not doing much exercise that needs improvement, and you can manage your food just fine to eat that low.

But good luck getting as much improvement from exercise with a suppressed metabolism.
If body is suppressing functions because of lack of food, it's sure not going to make improvements that require even more energy - if it even had the excess food to do so with.
But good news - those groups usually don't advocate much beyond walking as exercise, nothing hard the body would need to improve from anyway.

And trying to lose weight in that state, the eating goal would be so small as to be interesting to say the least for sustainability and compliance to actually lose weight.

And for those that don't know as several of the posts bear out - that's enough of a deficit you would stop losing weight because of suppressed metabolism and TDEE.
So TDEE- 30% would no longer become that as you would eventually maintain at lowered TDEE.

yarwell

Has anyone heard of the Calorie Restriction diet to prevent aging? Some studies show that restricting calories to about 30% below the TDEE actually promotes longevity. There are a couple websites devoted to it. Is anyone familiar with this theory or has anyone tried it?

I thought it didn't deliver the expected benefits in humans ie didn't scale up from mice / flies.

The CALERIE trial series was about that and there are people like Valter D Longo and Luigi Fontana chasing protein restriction, intermittent fasting and other approaches to try and replicate the animal model results.

LKArgh

And for those that don't know as several of the posts bear out - that's enough of a deficit you would stop losing weight because of suppressed metabolism and TDEE.
So TDEE- 30% would no longer become that as you would eventually maintain at lowered TDEE.

Wouldn't you then have to keep adjusting your TDEE? Or do you mean you just take TDEE at a random point in life (when e.g. you have 100 kilos to lose), then never readjust it and just keep approaching your final goal?

asciiqwerty

can anyone supply a reference to s published study? I'm reading increasing "reports" of studies which laim a/b/c, but have a lot of trouble actually finding reports which demonstrate causation rather than correlation

yarwell

can anyone supply a reference to s published study? I'm reading increasing "reports" of studies which laim a/b/c, but have a lot of trouble actually finding reports which demonstrate causation rather than correlation

what specifically are you looking for ?

Jestinia

I'm interested in it and I do use the cronometer. I don't know if I'll ever go as extreme as that, but I definitely want to master the optimal nutrition part of the calorie restriction optimal nutrition (CRON) diet. And since I still haven't reached my ideal weight (BMI under 20 but over 18.5) I'm still calorie restricting anyway (as are all of us who are trying to lose weight), so why not work on the nutrition part?

A recent monkey study does show longevity with calorie restriction, overturning an older monkey study that seemed not to show it.

http://www.nature.com/news/monkeys-that-cut-calories-live-longer-1.14963

asciiqwerty

can anyone supply a reference to s published study? I'm reading increasing "reports" of studies which claim a/b/c, but have a lot of trouble actually finding reports which demonstrate causation rather than correlation

what specifically are you looking for ?

anything with causation rather than correlation in humans by preference - the issue being that ethics boards tend not to allow researchers to forsce test subjects to do thigs which a suspected of being unhealthy, and most health studies are based on long term analysis (often of death rates) based on reported habits - these will be correlative analysis studies

so for example a recently highly publicised review in the uk upped the 5-a-day goal to 7-a-day based on people who ate more fruit and veg living longer but this was based on a correlative analysis of ages at death and reported fruit and veg consumption, this is correlative, not causative. i.e. there is no evidence in that study that eating more fruit and veg causes longer life, merely that those who eat more (who are also likely to be wealthier, more educated, more active, live in better accommodation and have more access to better healthcare) tend to die older.

famously (and therefore also possibly incorrectly) the example for correlation vs. causation, is that pregnancy rates in one of the nordic countries correlate perfectly with ice cream sales in an english seaside resort, but they are not causative - how could htey be, ice cream sales in the english resort cannot cause pregnancies in scandinavia, however, they are both also correlated with the seasons and the weather, this one may be causative, but that cannot be determined by a correlative analysis

asciiqwerty

I'm interested in it and I do use the cronometer. I don't know if I'll ever go as extreme as that, but I definitely want to master the optimal nutrition part of the calorie restriction optimal nutrition (CRON) diet. And since I still haven't reached my ideal weight (BMI under 20 but over 18.5) I'm still calorie restricting anyway (as are all of us who are trying to lose weight), so why not work on the nutrition part?

A recent monkey study does show longevity with calorie restriction, overturning an older monkey study that seemed not to show it.

http://www.nature.com/news/monkeys-that-cut-calories-live-longer-1.14963

thanks for this, as monkey trials are some of the few opportunities for actually restricting long term eating - and where causation is possible to *kitten* as all other factors can be controlled - ie. the monkeys eat the same just in different quantities and live in the same conditions: all else is equal -

what curious but comforting here is that it compares two studies
one where the population eats a calories restricted diet and some are further restricted (in this case they say no difference)
and the other where the population eats what they want and some are restricted (in this case the restriction from overweight - to healthy weigh had an impact by reducing the occurrence of health issues related to carrying excess weight like diabetes)

Jestinia

I'm interested in it and I do use the cronometer. I don't know if I'll ever go as extreme as that, but I definitely want to master the optimal nutrition part of the calorie restriction optimal nutrition (CRON) diet. And since I still haven't reached my ideal weight (BMI under 20 but over 18.5) I'm still calorie restricting anyway (as are all of us who are trying to lose weight), so why not work on the nutrition part?

A recent monkey study does show longevity with calorie restriction, overturning an older monkey study that seemed not to show it.

http://www.nature.com/news/monkeys-that-cut-calories-live-longer-1.14963

thanks for this, as monkey trials are some of the few opportunities for actually restricting long term eating - and where causation is possible to *kitten* as all other factors can be controlled - ie. the monkeys eat the same just in different quantities and live in the same conditions: all else is equal -

what curious but comforting here is that it compares two studies
one where the population eats a calories restricted diet and some are further restricted (in this case they say no difference)
and the other where the population eats what they want and some are restricted (in this case the restriction from overweight - to healthy weigh had an impact by reducing the occurrence of health issues related to carrying excess weight like diabetes)

Although what I find not comforting is this: They feed the monkeys an unnatural diet and the monkeys live in unnatural conditions. It is a nutritious diet, but still, it makes me wonder what the longevity difference would be between all groups, if they fed the monkeys what they would eat in the wild and provided them as natural a habitat as possible but without the hazards that kill off monkeys in the wild.

Then again, we're all like the monkeys, we get all kinds of chemicals in our food (maybe more, and we live longer, so the chemicals have a longer time period to affect us), so maybe what works for them will work for us. But perhaps that just means the monkeys eating less food are exposed to less toxins and that is why they live longer?

asciiqwerty

I'm interested in it and I do use the cronometer. I don't know if I'll ever go as extreme as that, but I definitely want to master the optimal nutrition part of the calorie restriction optimal nutrition (CRON) diet. And since I still haven't reached my ideal weight (BMI under 20 but over 18.5) I'm still calorie restricting anyway (as are all of us who are trying to lose weight), so why not work on the nutrition part?

A recent monkey study does show longevity with calorie restriction, overturning an older monkey study that seemed not to show it.

http://www.nature.com/news/monkeys-that-cut-calories-live-longer-1.14963

thanks for this, as monkey trials are some of the few opportunities for actually restricting long term eating - and where causation is possible to *kitten* as all other factors can be controlled - ie. the monkeys eat the same just in different quantities and live in the same conditions: all else is equal -

what curious but comforting here is that it compares two studies
one where the population eats a calories restricted diet and some are further restricted (in this case they say no difference)
and the other where the population eats what they want and some are restricted (in this case the restriction from overweight - to healthy weigh had an impact by reducing the occurrence of health issues related to carrying excess weight like diabetes)

Although what I find not comforting is this: They feed the monkeys an unnatural diet and the monkeys live in unnatural conditions. It is a nutritious diet, but still, it makes me wonder what the longevity difference would be between all groups, if they fed the monkeys what they would eat in the wild and provided them as natural a habitat as possible but without the hazards that kill off monkeys in the wild.

Then again, we're all like the monkeys, we get all kinds of chemicals in our food (maybe more, and we live longer, so the chemicals have a longer time period to affect us), so maybe what works for them will work for us. But perhaps that just means the monkeys eating less food are exposed to less toxins and that is why they live longer?

too right - i didn't like the idea of high sugar pellets either - but i guess it's the way they've managed to actively monitor intake
and hence also a reason why this sort of study doesn't happen in humans

shapefitter

Has anyone heard of the Calorie Restriction diet to prevent aging? Some studies show that restricting calories to about 30% below the TDEE actually promotes longevity. There are a couple websites devoted to it. Is anyone familiar with this theory or has anyone tried it?

I thought it didn't deliver the expected benefits in humans ie didn't scale up from mice / flies.

The CALERIE trial series was about that and there are people like Valter D Longo and Luigi Fontana chasing protein restriction, intermittent fasting and other approaches to try and replicate the animal model results.

So, the people starving in Africa...are going to live a long and healthy life...so, therefore, all the food/medical aid, was a total waste of time...?

rosebette

This is the site that has some of the studies I spoke of and some of you have already referred to it:

http://calerie.dcri.duke.edu/

This is the site devoted by a group committed to this way of living/eating.

http://www.crsociety.org/

I'm not currently doing this or even a proponent, but it's a question I have, since I am 55. One of the long term concerns I have is what will happen 10-15 years from now when I can no longer keep the level of workouts that I do now and maintain weight/health. The study does seem to assume some reduction in energy expenditure. I don't think the program would work for a young person who is extremely physically active.

shapefitter

This is the site that has some of the studies I spoke of and some of you have already referred to it:

http://calerie.dcri.duke.edu/

This is the site devoted by a group committed to this way of living/eating.

http://www.crsociety.org/

I'm not currently doing this or even a proponent, but it's a question I have, since I am 55. One of the long term concerns I have is what will happen 10-15 years from now when I can no longer keep the level of workouts that I do now and maintain weight/health. The study does seem to assume some reduction in energy expenditure. I don't think the program would work for a young person who is extremely physically active.

I really don't want to get political here, but nursing homes all throughout the western world, has already been doing this for years. Thus, giving the average life expectancy for someone 'living' in a nursing home 2-3 years. That's how long an older person can survive on a restricted diet, and neglect.

rosebette

This is the site that has some of the studies I spoke of and some of you have already referred to it:

http://calerie.dcri.duke.edu/

This is the site devoted by a group committed to this way of living/eating.

http://www.crsociety.org/

I'm not currently doing this or even a proponent, but it's a question I have, since I am 55. One of the long term concerns I have is what will happen 10-15 years from now when I can no longer keep the level of workouts that I do now and maintain weight/health. The study does seem to assume some reduction in energy expenditure. I don't think the program would work for a young person who is extremely physically active.

I really don't want to get political here, but nursing homes all throughout the western world, has already been doing this for years. Thus, giving the average life expectancy for someone 'living' in a nursing home 2-3 years. That's how long an older person can survive on a restricted diet, and neglect.

What this program proposes is eating high quality, nutrient dense, but lower calorie foods, not exactly a nursing home diet or neglect. My dad was in a nursing home, and the stuff they gave him certainly didn't qualify as that! Some of the info in the studies was also similar to what a couple threads have posted about what happens to BMR after a body has been eating below maintenance for a while, that the body sort of establishes a new maintenance level and adjusts its energy needs accordingly (in other words "starvation mode" is a bit of a myth). Typically the person would eat the base limit to fuel a BMI of between 18.5 and 20, not to be underweight. Also, for those who are seeing this as a from of anorexia, the recommendation is still not to go below 1000 calories. It is also not recommended for people who are extremely physically active -- runners, athletes, people who might do a job that involves a high burn level like construction, etc. A male might eat around 1800-2000, depending on size, and a maybe a smaller female between 1000-1200. As a smaller female (5'2"), if I were 65-70 years sold, for example, and no longer able to lift weights or do high impact, maybe just take a walk, this might theoretically be all the calories I would need to maintain my BMR. At some point, the person's weight would level off around that 18.5-20 range. This method of course is not recommended for people who are already at that range or underweight, of course.

EvgeniZyntx

This is the site that has some of the studies I spoke of and some of you have already referred to it:

http://calerie.dcri.duke.edu/

This is the site devoted by a group committed to this way of living/eating.

http://www.crsociety.org/

I'm not currently doing this or even a proponent, but it's a question I have, since I am 55. One of the long term concerns I have is what will happen 10-15 years from now when I can no longer keep the level of workouts that I do now and maintain weight/health. The study does seem to assume some reduction in energy expenditure. I don't think the program would work for a young person who is extremely physically active.

Which specific outcome publication in humans are you referencing? When I look at the site you posted the publications are about methodology at this time and not outcome - or am I missing something?

miss_jessiejane

Oh sweet! Now I can be thin and young forever!

rosebette

I must admit, there is not a great deal of long term data on outcome since this is a relative recent concept. This is one which relates to caloric restriction and brain aging:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3733585/

The language is pretty technical, and it still deals a lot with mice and other animals, although it also discusses this program with humans.

In some ways, CR does make sense if we're talking about a population, such as in the U.S., which is overfed and suffering from health issues due to that. The studies, however, do exclude people who are extremely overweight (I don't think it takes people with BMI over 27).

SonicDeathMonkey80

This is why I drink my diet soda from this cup, and only this cup

EvgeniZyntx

I must admit, there is not a great deal of long term data on outcome since this is a relative recent concept. This is one which relates to caloric restriction and brain aging:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3733585/

The language is pretty technical, and it still deals a lot with mice and other animals, although it also discusses this program with humans.

In some ways, CR does make sense if we're talking about a population, such as in the U.S., which is overfed and suffering from health issues due to that. The studies, however, do exclude people who are extremely overweight (I don't think it takes people with BMI over 27).

No. There is zero human outcome data in that publication (and it isn't even a study but a literature review of the zebrafish model as a possible animal model for neurogenesis).