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After all the hype about the age-defying effects of guzzling red wine, forcing down salmon oil and bingeing on blueberries, the latest word on longevity is Spartan to say the least.
Calorie restriction is the key to living longer, Sweden's University of Gothenburg reported.
Scientists already knew that monkeys put on a low-calorie diet live several years longer than expected. Low-calorie diets have also been shown to delay age-related diseases such as cancer and Type 2 diabetes. But until now, researchers were unable to explain why.
Calorie restriction slows down aging by preventing a specific enzyme from turning off, according to Mikael Molin, a molecular biologist at the University of Gothenburg. Known as Prx1, "this enzyme is extremely important in counteracting damage to our genetic material," he said.
His research, published in the journal Molecular Cell, shows that Prx1 is damaged during aging, thus losing its ability to remain active. Caloric restriction, however, counteracts this by increasing the production of another enzyme, Srx1, which repairs Prx1. Scientists believe the earlier you start eating less, the greater the effect.
But the findings should be taken with a grain of salt – or a spoonful of probiotic yogurt.
The Swedish researchers used yeasts, not human cells, as a model to show how enzymes behave. Moreover, drastically reducing calories with the aim to remain "forever young" could be a recipe for a midlife eating disorder.
According to Dietitians of Canada, women on a restricted diet should eat no less than 1,200 calories a day, while calories levels for men should not drop below 1,500.
"Attempting extreme caloric restriction, to most people, would lead to misery," noted Elissa Epel, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, who is also studying how calorie restriction affects optimal nutrition and aging.
Among her study subjects is Trent Arsenault, 35, a Bay Area engineer who is six-foot-one and weighs a mere 146 pounds. He subsists on fruit smoothies, salads, skim milk and small amounts of fish, eating a total of about 1,800 calories a day.
"The goal is to extend your healthy years as long as possible," Mr. Arsenault said. "Now when I see cake or a doughnut, I think it will cause my heart to race and could contribute to my having diabetes or a heart condition down the line."
No one said longevity would be a piece of cake.
Would you eat low-cal to add years? Or are pastries, chips and booze essential to your quality of life?