Posted on 04/25/2024 6:48:53 AM PDT by Cronos
If you put a lab mouse on a diet, cutting the animal’s caloric intake by 30 to 40 percent, it will live, on average, about 30 percent longer. The calorie restriction, as the intervention is technically called, can’t be so extreme that the animal is malnourished, but it should be aggressive enough to trigger some key biological changes....
Scientists first discovered this phenomenon in the 1930s, The subsequent studies also found that many of the calorie-restricted animals were less likely to develop cancer and other chronic diseases related to aging.
... In the wild, animals experience periods of feast and famine, as did our human ancestors. Therefore, their (and conceivably our) biology evolved to survive and thrive not only during seasons of abundance, but also seasons of deprivation.
One theory is that, on a cellular level, calorie restriction makes animals more resilient to physical stressors. For example, calorie-restricted mice have greater resistance to toxins and recover faster from injury,
Another explanation involves the fact that, in both humans and animals, eating fewer calories slows down metabolism. It’s possible that “the less you have to get your body to metabolize, the longer it can live,” said Dr. Kim Huffman, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine who has studied calorie restriction in people. “You know, just slow the wheels down and the tires will last longer.”
Calorie restriction also forces the body to rely on fuel sources other than glucose, which aging experts think is beneficial for metabolic health and, ultimately, longevity. Several researchers pointed to a process known as autophagy, where the body eats up malfunctioning parts of cells and uses them for energy. This helps cells function better and lowers the risk of several age-related diseases.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
So, I could starve myself and live longer hungry all the time? What a deal!
ahhhhhh....that grant money can produce whatever results you wish....
Problem is we all die of something. Is adding those years risking a worse death? For example, perhaps you have a heart attack and die or you follow this and get 4 years but along comes cancer or something worse.
HUH, 3 days w/o eating?
If you stop eating totally, you will live forever!.....................
I remember a stat on hormone pills for women...Take them for 20 years...from menopause on...and you will live....wait for it....8 days longer.
That’s the thing, you do not starve, you are ‘eating’ your fat stores.
Fasting not only improves health. It also sharpens the mind.
As an aside, there's a reason the Bible is full of admonitions about fasting.
I want to know if grazing is beneficial, animals do that too :)
Nobody wants to hear about your diet. Shut up and eat your salad.
Well, I’ve been called an “animal” before, so where do I sign up?
Our bodies were designed to be cavemen.
It just seems longer... :)
That was meant for the self starving fool whos a kill joy at birthday parties serving diet cake and sugar free candy, Rooster.
Intermittent fasting supposedly reduces the chances of cancer
I’ve heard of fasting plans before but when I look into them they really aren’t “fasting” in the traditional meaning of the word. They all seem to incorporate diluted juice and other supplements less than full meals to keep the body going.
I’m not convinced. This is just a fad, and one that seeks monetary enrichment. None of these plans are free.
Have you been talking to my ex-wife? She thinks I am a caveman. And she might be right.;-)
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