Janey Goddard asks: can you really live longer by eating less?
Janey Goddard asks: can you really live longer by eating less?
Caloric restriction, or CR as it is known to aficionados, is an anti-ageing strategy that has been proven to work in many research studies now. In fact, these studies have shown that mice on CR regimes lived about a third longer than their normallyfed peers. But not only that – when they reached chronological ‘old age’ they were more alert, agile, had glossy healthy coats and their mental function remained youthful. Very similar results have been seen in many other species – including primates – so it is highly likely that CR benefits humans too. Large scale studies are underway and showing very promising results indeed. But what actually is CR?Weight loss can result but it is not the primary goal of a CR regime. In order to reap the anti-ageing benefits that this practice can bestow, it is necessary to reduce calorie intake by about one third – while vastly improving upon the nutritional quality of the foods and drinks ingested. CR involves a total lifestyle change for most people who embark upon it and it’s not straight forward. It is absolutely necessary to ensure that a full array of vitamins, minerals and other necessary dietary elements are present in the diet – including those plant derived substances – the phytochemicals – which are being proven time and again to be vital to our health.
CR appears to bestow major health benefits on people who follow this lifestyle – they have reduced risks of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke, blood pressure is vastly improved, markers of inflammation which underlie most chronic health conditions are greatly reduced, insulin levels are improved and cognitive function is enhanced. Type 2 diabetes is usually cured on this regime. There appear to be no risks associated with CR – if done correctly – and it is best to begin a programme under supervision.
If CR is so great, why aren’t we all doing it?
Granted, CR is amazingly effective – essentially extending our health-span as well as our life-span. But, doing CR correctly is a full time occupation. I met some dedicated CR lifestylers at a recent anti-ageing medical conference in the USA and they seem to be totally preoccupied with the regime. You’d have to be a very dedicated individual to weigh and measure each morsel of food and drink that you consume – while doing all the hundreds of calculations required to absolutely ensure that you are getting the right amounts of nutrients.
However, there is hope on the horizon: Scientists are working on finding ways that we can eat a ‘normal’ amount of food – but trick our bodies into believing that we are taking in fewer calories. Several compounds have been shown to have this effect and they are known as Caloric Restriction Mimetics – or CRMs. One of the most promising compounds is resveratrol – a naturally occurring substance derived from red grapes and other plant sources – particularly Japanese knotweed. It is important to take the more effective trans-resveratrol (and not the cis-resveratrol) version of the supplement.
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One of the best sources of information about every aspect of anti-ageing is the British Longevity Society (thebls.org ). To source CRM products and for well researched, very helpful articles visit International Anti-Aging Systems (antiaging-systems.com )
Article by
Jayney Goddard
President of the Complementary Medical Association
is the president of the Complementary Medical Association
Discover more
Article by
Jayney Goddard
President of the Complementary Medical Association
is the president of the Complementary Medical Association
Discover more
By Jayney Goddard
By Jayney Goddard 
