If your goal is to enjoy a long and healthy lifeThere are definitely some things you can do to increase your chances of being around for as long as possible.
For example, there are private habits that prolong life that you can make a part of your regular routine, as well as foods you can eat to prolong your life. There is also a certain eating habit that can help you live longer: following a calorie-restricted diet.
In a recent study published in the journal ScienceMore than 200 people between the ages of 21 and 50 participated in what was considered the Comprehensive Evaluation of the Long-Term Effects of Reducing Energy Intake (CALERIE) clinical trial.
During the two-year study, it was found “that moderate caloric restriction may benefit human health,” while the “trial had already shown a reduction in cardiometabolic risk factors, involving cholesterol levels and blood pressure.” , according Today’s medical news.
“This study and its findings do not surprise me,” dana ellis hunnesPh.D., MPH, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, says Eat this, not that!. “There have been many models in animal research (and some in humans) that calorie restriction by 20% can reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases (cancer, diabetes) and prolong life.”
How does a calorie restricted diet result in these benefits? Hunnes explains that “it has to do with the way IGF1 and insulin are expressed in the body,” noting that “lower levels are associated with less inflammation, less cell proliferation, and longer life (ie, this study).”
“However, that being said, similar goals can be achieved with a low-meat, plant-based diet (at least in animal models, that is the case, and probably in humans as well, as seen probably in blue zones worldwide where there is a much higher than expected population of people in their 80s, 90s and 100s),” according to Hunnes.
When it comes to properly incorporating a calorie-restricted diet into your lifestyle, Hunnes says Eat this, not that!“eating with time restriction— where you eat within certain hours is a way to incorporate a calorie-restricted diet without feeling or appearing calorie-restricted.”
Beyond that, “another good thing to do is a plant based diet because you can still eat plenty of foods (that are whole and natural) without feeling like you’re restricting your calories due to the bulk, fiber and water content of the foods, and anti-inflammatory properties.”
To learn more about how a calorie-restricted diet can benefit your body, be sure to read A surprising side effect of cutting calories, finds a new study.
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