5 Facts about Calorie Restriction

5 Facts about Calorie Restriction

Calorie restriction is defined as a reduction of 30-60% of one’s regular calorie intake while maintaining a diet that provides enough nutrients to prevent malnutrition. Scientists believe calorie restriction stimulates a defensive state designed to help an organism survive environmental and metabolic adversity. This non-genetic strategy has been observed to encourage youthfulness and extend average and maximum lifespan in most living creatures. [1]



Why Caloric Restriction?

Many individuals choose to pursue the approach of calorie restriction for its supposed anti-aging effects. Calorie restriction has been shown to extend longevity in animal models via a number of proposed metabolic avenues. Whether it’s activating sirtuin production, protecting telomere length, or reducing oxidative stress, safe calorie restriction with optimal nutrition (CRON) may be a helpful way to support a healthy aging process. Calorie restriction is by no means the end all and be all of longevity, but it is a good first start that is free to try.

How Does it Work?

The precise mechanisms as to how calorie restriction works are not yet known. Despite the lack of understanding by modern science, there are some clues as to how CRON benefits the body. Researchers hypothesize caloric restriction lowers metabolism, decreasing the oxidation often associated with metabolic processes. Calorie restriction, or CR, also decreases insulin levels and stimulates cell repair. Sirtuins, proteins that regulate many biological pathways, are activated during calorie restriction, and studies show that these proteins may extend lifespan. Whatever the mechanism, it does reduce the body’s production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which reduces damage to DNA.

Potential Benefits

So, you may know that calorie restriction plays a role in supporting a healthy aging process, but did you know that the practice offers specific approaches to health? Here are some of the top researched benefits of CR.

Decreases Risk of Heart Disease

Caloric restriction shows positive effects on many of the causes associated with heart disease. Studies have found it helps protect against obesity and hypertension, health conditions that greatly influence heart disease risk. [2] Adiponectin, a hormone that increases production under physical stressors (including that of caloric restriction) promotes cardiovascular and metabolic health. [3] Only a subset of heart disease patients should consider calorie restriction alongside professional medical advice.

Encourages Weight Loss

A study of overweight, postmenopausal women found all participants experienced significant decreases in body weight and body mass index following a calorie restricted meal plan. Some participants experienced better blood sugar management as a result of the caloric restricted diet. [4] While this may be good news for type II diabetics, those suffering from blood sugar issues should make sure they are receiving the proper nutrients that further stabilize blood sugar spikes.

Promotes Healthy Cellular Function

Individuals who practice long-term caloric restriction for the purpose of supporting health and longevity have shown a lower risk of cellular dysfunction. [5] This doesn’t necessarily mean that calorie restriction can solve the cancer issue, but it just may be an important approach to supporting health on all fronts. [6] Read more

Rhodiola herbal extract increases fruit fly lifespan by 25 percent

Rhodiola herbal extract increases fruit fly lifespan by 25 percent

The history of herbal medicine is pretty amazing. All around the world, for thousands of years, herbalists and natural practitioners have developed an impressive body of knowledge about the healing properties of thousands of different plants and herbs to help treat virtually every malady known to man. Some plants, like willow bark, were valued for specific medical properties: In this case, to break fevers and reduce pain and inflammation. Other herbs and plants were valued because of their ability to improve overall health and general quality of life. One such herb is Rhodiola rosea (also known as golden root). Rhodiola has been used in Ayurvedic medicine and other natural healing traditions in Asia for thousands of years and has long been valued for its general tonic properties. And modern science appears to be backing this up. Read on to find out more about the health benefits - including increased longevity - bestowed by this amazing herb.

Rhodiola research from UCI

This latest study on Rhodiola, a yellow-flowering alpine plant and one with a long history of medicinal use, is come out of the University of California, Irvine. Here, scientists are looking at the effects this plant can have on the human body.

To begin with, the found that the benefits of taking Rhodiola are unrelated to diet and that active ingredients in this plant improve health by acting on a complex of biological pathways to support better overall bodily functions and lengthen the lifespan. This discovery is considered to be significant: Traditionally, the medical community has held that dietary restriction is one of the key components of lengthening lifespan, especially restriction of things like sodium and saturated fats. In fact, however, Rhodiola worked even when there was not dietary restriction placed on the fruit flies. Read more