Fewer Calories Linked to Longer Life

The findings of a National Institute onAging study showed that a low-caloriediet may be associated with increasedlongevity. Researchers from the PenningtonBiomedical Center at LouisianaState University conducted the ComprehensiveAssessment of the Long-termEffects of Reducing Intake of Energy(CALERIE) as a pilot for an expanded trialexpected to begin this fall. The resultsindicated that people who decreasedtheir calories by 25% for 6 months alsolowered their fasting insulin levels as wellas their body temperature, both of whichhave been linked to increased longevity.Maintaining a substantially lower calorieintake has significantly extended the lifeof laboratory rodents when this diet issustained for a lifetime, but the effectson humans are not yet known. TheCALERIE findings appeared in the April2006 issue of the Journal of the AmericanMedical Association.

Ms. Farley is a freelance medicalwriter based in Wakefield, RI.