Many people dream of living longer and staying healthy as they age. While there is no magic pill to stop aging, new research shows that reducing the number of calories we eat—called “caloric restriction”—might help. This has worked well in animals, but what about humans?
Let’s explore what scientists have found, the possible benefits, and the risks.
What Is Caloric Restriction?
Caloric restriction means eating fewer calories than usual, but still getting all the needed nutrients. Another method is intermittent fasting, where people eat during specific hours or skip meals on certain days.
Some people, like tech entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, claim that eating less helps them stay younger. He reportedly finishes his last meal at noon every day. But is this safe or helpful for everyone?
What the Research Says
Scientists have studied caloric restriction in animals for almost 100 years. They found that animals like mice, rats, monkeys, and even tiny worms live 15% to 60% longer when they eat fewer calories. This method has shown better results than popular anti-aging drugs like rapamycin and metformin.
A recent study looked at 167 animal tests and found that cutting calories gave the most consistent results for living longer. Metformin, a diabetes medicine that some people take hoping to live longer, did not work as well.
What About Humans?
Another new study looked at 99 clinical trials with more than 6,500 adults. These studies found that:
- Fasting and eating fewer calories helped people lose weight.
- Some types of fasting lowered cholesterol, which is good for heart health.
- However, time-limited eating (e.g., eating only during a few hours each day) could actually raise cholesterol levels, which may be risky.
Risks of Eating Less
Even though eating fewer calories may sound good, it has some downsides:
- It can make healing slower. In mice and rats, wounds healed more slowly on a restricted diet.
- It can make bones weaker. Bone density dropped by up to 30% in some studies.
- It’s hard to stick to. In a two-year study, people were asked to eat 25% fewer calories, but they only managed 12%. That small reduction still helped lower body inflammation.
Also, not all animals live longer when they eat less. Some with different genes lived shorter lives. So it’s not clear if it would work the same for every human.
More Research Needed
Scientists say it’s too early to recommend calorie cutting for everyone. We don’t yet know how it works in different people, and running long studies on human aging is very difficult.
Everyone’s body is different. A diet that helps one person might harm another, especially if someone is already thin or has low bone strength.
Daily news highlights show that while caloric restriction might help animals live longer, we need more evidence before saying it works for people. It’s important to talk to a doctor before trying any new diet plan.
