Study Finds That Restricting Calories May Slow the Pace of Aging and Increase Longevity in Healthy Adults

A new study published in the journal Nature Aging has found that people of normal weight may be able to extend their life span by restricting calories. The study, conducted by researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, asked participants to cut their calorie intake by 25% over two years.

The study’s senior author, Dan Belsky, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in New York City, said that the findings add to an already large body of evidence that a calorie-restricted diet can provide substantial health benefits, including delayed aging.

The study found that eating fewer calories appears to slow the pace of aging and increase longevity in healthy adults. Belsky said that this occurs by changing biology in ways consistent with a slowing of the process of aging, although the specific mechanisms of how this occurs are still under investigation.

The study’s main take-home message is that it is possible to slow the pace of biological aging and that it may be beneficial for people of normal weight to restrict their calorie intake. Belsky noted that the findings are encouraging and suggest that it may be possible to extend life span in humans by making lifestyle changes.