Eating fewer calories may slow down aging and increase longevity. Eating less may lengthen your life. Researchers have increased life-spans in yeast and mice by having them consume fewer calories per day, and ongoing studies suggest that a strict low-calorie diet may slow aging in primates, too.
The answer is yes, eating fewer calories can improve biomarkers that may contribute to slower aging and a longer life. A biomarker is part of a DNA sequence that can indicate the presence of disease. Simply put, when biomarkers improve, health improves.
Eating less slows the rate of aging, extends lifespan, and reduces the risk of many aging-related diseases. Eating less can be accomplished in two ways: through caloric restriction or fasting.
Good nutrition is a critical part of health and development. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), better nutrition is related to improved health at all ages, a lower risk of diseases, and longevity.
If you take in fewer calories than needed, you will lose weight ( 1 ). Restricting intake to fewer than 1,000 calories daily can slow down your metabolic rate and lead to fatigue since you're not taking in enough calories to support the basic functions that keep you alive.
Under the care of a health practitioner, following a carefully reduced diet with high nutritional density for an extended period can lead to positive metabolic adaptations. Some markers include reduction in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and surprisingly an increase of energy and clarity of thinking.
Aim for a slow, steady weight loss by decreasing calorie intake while maintaining an adequate nutrient intake and increasing physical activity. You can cut calories without eating less nutritious food. The key is to eat foods that will fill you up without eating a large amount of calories.
Absolutely." For example, eating too much sugar and processed carbohydrates (like pasta, bread, and baked goods) can lead to damage in your skin's collagen, which keeps your skin springy and resists wrinkles, says Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD.
The fountain of youth may be a myth, but you can turn to the next best option: the anti-aging impact of intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting triggers multiple changes in your body that slow down aging by keeping cells and DNA healthy.
Based on your weight, age, and abdominal circumference, decide whether to have two or three meals per day. If you are overweight or tend to gain weight easily, consume two meals a day: breakfast and either lunch or dinner, plus two low-sugar (less than 5 grams) snacks with fewer than 100 calories each.
Alternate-day fasting improves markers of oxidative stress, a measure of longevity. Intermittent fasting has shown to protect against many age-related diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The physiological changes that occur with ageing that can impair appetite include changes to the digestive system, hormonal changes, disease, pain, changes to the sense of smell, taste and vision and a decreased need for energy. Changes to the digestive system can contribute to declining appetite.
“As we age we generally are less active,” says Dr. Hodges. “On average people over the age of 60, and certainly older than 70, have a lower need for energy than when they were younger because they expend less energy, with energy being calories. Generally speaking, their caloric needs are lower because they do less.”
Daily volume of foods and beverages also declines as a function of age. Physiological changes associated with age, including slower gastric emptying, altered hormonal responses, decreased basal metabolic rate, and altered taste and smell may also contribute to lowered energy intake.
As it turns out, it's a very long life. A healthy diet, regular physical activity, extended work years and aggressive government intervention have helped the Nagano region produce the longest life expectancy in Japan, which in turn is the longest in the world.
Longevity, or living for longer in good health, can be largely controlled by the triumvirate of eating well, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep. Diet is an important lifestyle factor in longevity, with poor diet causing 11 million global deaths and 255 million disability-adjusted life years annually [1].
Stop Eating Mainly Processed Foods
One of the major dietary changes that have taken place in many countries over the last 30 years has been a shift to consuming more processed foods. Along with processing comes an increase in added sodium, more saturated fat, more sugar, and less fiber.
To live a long, healthy life, it may be worth cutting back on foods like processed meat, sweets, and soda, evidence suggests. These foods are limited in so-called Blue Zones, regions where residents tend to live longer and have fewer health problems as they age, researchers discovered.
So, the science seems to say the healthiest way to eat throughout the day is to have two or three meals, with a long fasting window overnight, to not eat too early or too late in the day, and to consume more calories earlier on in the day.
There is literally no difference. Multiple studies have compared eating many smaller versus fewer larger meals and concluded that there is no significant effect on either metabolic rate or the total amount of fat lost ( 1 , 2 ).
Remember: eating too little is just as unhealthy as eating too much. Find the right amount of food that works best for you, and don't be afraid to experiment with eating more if your health and performance aren't where you want them to be!