Calorie Restriction: Will It Slow Down The Aging Process?
In flies, worms and rats, it seemed to. But what about us humans?
With calorie restriction, you eat 20% to 25% less than you need to maintain your normal weight. So someone who needs 1800 calories a day would eat about 1440.
But you still have to make sure you get enough vitamins and nutrients. To do that, you’ll probably eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Low in calories, high in nutrients.
With flies, worms and rats, calorie restriction extended their lives. But these creatures have extremely short life spans.
No one knows if it’ll work in humans over a long period of time.
Short trials have shown some positive changes in humans like lower weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, body fat, and even heart rate. There’s no evidence that will ensure a longer life… maybe just a healthier one.
But you may also develop some health problems with calorie restriction: anemia, dizziness, reduced bone density and muscle mass, memory loss, even depression.
It sounds to me as though you may live longer, you just won’t like it.
Again, no one knows whether there would be long-term negative effects from restricting calories for someone at a normal weight.
I have no medical or scientific basis for my opinion. But I think calorie restriction is nonsense. If you drop too much weight, you put yourself at real risk if you get sick. Your immune system can’t fight back as well, among other things.
Even without getting sick, you may not get all the nutrients you need. If you overtax your body with exercise or stress, it seems to me that you won’t have any nutritional reserve to help you.
This sounds like a case of the medical and scientific communities trying to be a little too clever. Shoot for a normal weight, relax, and enjoy life.
But if you’re interested in calorie restriction, you should see your doctor before trying it.
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