The fewer calories we consume during the day, the more years of life we could expect: this is suggested by a study published in the journal Nature Aging and conducted by Columbia University according to which the so-called long-term “calorie restriction” could slow down the biological aging process in adults. In particular, by reducing calorie intake by 12% for two years in lean or slightly overweight adults, a slowdown in the aging process of the order of 2-3% was observed. Although the effect is modest, it accumulates over time; Previous research suggests that a similar slowdown could reduce the risk of dying by about 10 to 15 percent. The findings of the work provide evidence that age-associated molecular changes can be slowed or reversed, potentially extending human lifespan.
What scientists call a person’s biological age is nothing more than a yardstick for measuring the accumulation of damage, physiological changes, and loss of physical function that occur in a person over time. It almost never coincides with the individual’s chronological age; in fact, two peers can have a similar biological age depending also on their lifestyles.
In this study, to determine whether long-term calorie reduction changed the speed of the body’s aging, researchers measured changes to DNA. They examined the effects of calorie restriction in healthy, lean or slightly overweight young and middle-aged adults over the course of two years. Scientists wanted to know whether calorie restriction affected molecular processes associated with aging. Compared to the 75 participants who maintained a normal diet, the 143 participants who reduced calories slowed their rate of aging by 2-3% using a DNA-based “odometer” that determines the annual rate of biological aging. . This study provides evidence that long-term calorie reduction slows the changes that occur with aging in men and suggests that DNA aging may be modifiable.
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