Via
PLoS Medicine, a look at the benefits
calorie restriction (CR) brings to
mitochondrial function - and hence to your long-term health: "A calorie-restricted diet provides all the nutrients necessary for a healthy life but minimizes the energy (calories) supplied in the diet. ... A major factor in the age-related decline of bodily functions is the
accumulation of 'oxidative damage' in the body's proteins, fats, and DNA. Oxidants - in particular, chemicals called
'free radicals' - are produced when food is converted to energy by cellular structures called
mitochondria. One theory for how caloric restriction slows aging is that it lowers free-radical production by inducing the formation of efficient mitochondria. ... The induction of these efficient mitochondria in turn reduces oxidative damage in skeletal muscles. Consequently, this adaptive response to caloric restriction might have the potential to slow aging and increase longevity in humans as in other animals. ... CR and CR [plus exercise] both increased the number of mitochondria in skeletal muscle. Both interventions also reduced the amount of
DNA damage - a marker of
oxidative stress - in the participants' muscles." The normal caveats are given, but the more we learn about the mechanical operation of calorie restriction, the better it looks, given that it
costs nothing but thought and time to try.
View the Article Under Discussion:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040076
Read More Longevity Meme Commentary:
http://www.longevitymeme.org/news/