Living Longer and Looking Younger

Low-calorie diet could extend life, study indicates.

"Cutting back drastically on daily calorie intake can lead to longer life, at least in rats," according to a study published in the October issue of Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.

Researchers at the University at Buffalo found that "[a] lifelong 40 percent calorie-restricted diet reduced the rats' amount of visceral fat, which expresses inflammatory factors -- proteins that, in humans, cause chronic disease and an age-related decline in physical performance and vitality."

They noted that "[t]his is the first study to report that caloric restriction reduced production in visceral fat of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6, and enhanced performance on overall physical function assessments."

While most humans could not maintain such a strict diet (1,200 calories per day for women, and 1,500 for men), they could manage an eight-percent reduction in caloric intake, the researchers said.