Evidence for anti-aging diet approaches

Anti-Aging Diet

The quest for immortality is as old as time. While most understand that true immortality is unachievable, delaying the natural aging process is still highly sought. The process of aging includes not only wrinkles, but also memory loss -- especially Alzheimer's Disease, decreased brain function, adult-onset diabetes, and an increasing risk for chronic diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and certain cancer (Roth, 2005; Zelman, 2009; Levenson & Rich, 2007). One of the more popularized of preventing this deterioration of the body due to aging today involves a diet based on calorie restriction.

Anti-Aging Calorie Restriction Diet:

Calorie restriction is the only "non-genetic intervention known to slow aging and extend life span in organisms ranging from yeast to mice" (Wei et al., 2008, p. 0139). Calorie restriction for anti-aging benefits, an idea that was first conceived in the 1930s (Chiarpotto, Bergamini & Poli, 2006), is much as the name implies -- a diet of eating fewer calories than what is necessary to maintain an individual's normal weight. In addition to restricting calories, this diet also involves monitoring food intake to ensure the proper level of vitamins and nutrients are being consumed, despite the reduced calories. Often a calorie restriction diet is centered on vegetables and whole grains, which offer a higher nutrient content with a lower calorie count ("Calorie restriction," 2007). Although the concept of calorie restriction is the same, the actual level of calorie restriction varies dependent on the source.

The Mayo Clinic cites studies with calorie reduction levels of 20 to 25% of their normal daily caloric intake, for weight maintenance, for human beings. A 2,000 calorie daily requirement would have the individual eating between 1,500 to 1,600 calories daily ("Calorie restriction," 2007). In contrast, it has been found that a much more restricted diet, of a 40%-reduced calorie diet, in rats to be effective, whereas Rhesus monkeys tolerated a 30% reduction in caloric intake without any adverse health effects (Bergamini et al., 2007; Masoro, 2007). Redman and Ravussin (2007) cite the Vallejo Study which studied 120 non-obese men. The 60 that followed a calorie reduced diet, of approximately 35% when compared to the control group, showed a lower death rate and a reduction of approximately 50% in hospital admissions. There are, however, no life-long studies for humans and a calorie restricted diet (Everitt & LeCouteur, 2007). Although human calorie restriction has been shown to improve blood pressure, blood lipids, insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance; there are risks associated with this diet.