The Calorie Restriction Diet shows amazing health benefits!

The Calorie Restriction Diet (CR) limits dietary energy intake on the theory this will improve health and retard aging. In human subjects, CR has been shown to lower cholesterol, fasting glucose, and blood pressure. Many consider these to be primary biomarkers of aging, since there is a correlation between these factors and risk of diseases related to aging.

CR is the only known diet therapy capable of extending maximum lifespan, as opposed to average lifespan. In CR, energy intake is minimized, but sufficient quantities of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients must be eaten.

The Caloric Restriction Diet is sometimes called the "high-low diet" (high in all nutrients aside from calories, in which it is "low"). It is also known as the Longevity Diet, the 1200 Calorie Diet, and the Anti Aging Diet. The diet appears to almost identical to the Zone Diet Plan in calories and food group composition. The diet combines excellent nutrition, with caloric intake levels of about 1200 calories per day depending on body mass, age, sex, level of physical activity, and other parameters.

Research history
In 1986 researchers reported that restricting the caloric intake of laboratory mice proportionally increased their lifespan compared to a group of mice with a normal diet. The calorie restricted mice on the longevity diet also maintained youthful appearances and activity levels longer, and showed delays in age-related diseases.

The findings have been confirmed, and generalized to a range of other animals. Animal species tested with CR so far include monkeys, rats, mice, spiders, and worms. All have shown significant lifespan extension. Researchers are investigating the possibility of a similar physiological response from an anti aging diet for humans. In the meantime, many people have adapted the practice of caloric restriction in some form, hoping to achieve the expected health benefits of the longevity diet. One group practicing the diet is the Calorie Restriction Society.

Human studies are very promising
In a recent study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, John O. Holloszy and his colleagues studied a small CR diet group and a control group on a normal diet. They cataloged what they call “profound and sustained beneficial effects” of caloric restriction. Their results were published in Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.

The dietitian-approved Caloric Restriction Diet plan was nutritionally balanced. The diet contained 26 percent calories from protein, 28 percent from fat, and 46 percent from complex carbohydrates. The diet can be enlivened with a nutritious array of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

Key finding: caloric-restriction subjects scored vastly better on all major risk factors for heart disease including total cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. Each of these factors tends to increase with age. They also had very low amounts of body fat compared to the average person in the control group, who had about 25 percent body fat.

Three people in the calorie restriction group had familial high cholesterol when the study began. Caloric restriction reduced their cholesterol levels, and they no longer need cholesterol-lowering medication. The really impressive finding is that regardless of their genetic background, all CR participants showed the same reduced cholesterol response.

Studies are finding new anti aging diet drugs
A study conducted by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and published in the journal Nature in May 2007, determined that the gene PHA-4 is responsible for the longevity increases behind calorie restriction in animals. Similar results are expected in humans. The discovery holds promise for synthesizing future drugs to increase the human lifespan by simulating the effects of caloric restriction without the Calorie Restriction Diet.

Other candidate anti aging diet compounds under study include:
• Resveratrol, found in red wine and grapes. Many supplement companies market inexpensive concentrates.
• metformin mimics the gene expression of CR mice, and has extended mice's maximum life spans. It is already clinically approved to treat diabetes.
• Lipoic Acid (α-Lipoic Acid, Alpha Lipoic Acid, or ALA)
• 2-deoxy-D-glucose, or 2-DG. 2-DG interferes in glycolysis, starving a cell of fuel.
• Iodoacetate

Stay tuned, this area of anti aging diet therapy research is very dynamic and new results are announced frequently. Meanwhile, if you try a Calorie Restriction Diet be sure your diet is high in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients and low in calories.

Please note. This article on the Caloric Restriction Diet is in no way intended as medical advice. It is recommended that you check with your doctor or other medical professional before making major changes in your diet. Some diet plans, such as the longevity diet, may not be appropriate for certain individuals.

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