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Eat Less, Stay Younger Longer

People who eat less generally weigh less than people who consume more calories on a daily basis.  And maintaining a healthy weight means fewer health woes over the course of a lifetime.  Now, a study recently conducted by researchers at St. Louis University indicates eating less may actually slow the aging process as well.

While the researchers haven’t actually stumbled upon the ever-elusive Fountain of Youth, they have produced evidence that a diet that has between 300 and 500 calories shaved off it every day leads to a decrease in the production of triiodothyronine (T3), a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that speeds up metabolism and the aging process.

Previous studies on laboratory rats and mice have proven that a calorie-restricted diet slows the aging processes in these animals and produces similar effects in humans.  What was unknown was if the reduced caloric intake alone reduced the production of T3, thereby slowing the aging process, or if a reduction in body fat in general slowed the production of T3.

To delve deeper into the T3 mystery, researchers at the university’s Doisy College of Health Sciences, recruited volunteers to take part in a one-year, weight-loss study in which they were randomly divided into three groups - one control group, one group that reduced caloric intake by 300 to 500 calories each day, and one that ate their normal diet but added exercise as a means of losing weight.  The men and women in the study were all non-smokers, 50 to 60 years of age, with sedentary lifestyles.  Each participant was in good general health with no evidence of cardiovascular or lung disease, diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and no signs of cancer.  All participants were of normal or slightly above average body mass index (BMI).

After a year of participation, the exercise group and the group reducing caloric intake showed similar changes to their individual BMI values.  Only those in the reduced-calorie group, however, showed evidence of reduced levels of T3, leading the research team to conclude it is the caloric restriction and not simply a reduced BMI that influences T3 production.

The research team cautions that a reduction in daily caloric intake by no more than 500 calories means simply ordering a turkey sandwich instead of a Big Mac with fries or skipping dessert.  This degree of caloric reduction is in no way associated with anorexia nervosa, a potentially dangerous medical condition characterized by severely reduced caloric intake that causes premature aging and death.

Restricting calories alone did not prove to be a long-term means of maintaining weight loss, as the reduction in thyroid function slows metabolism, a situation that often leads to weight gains.  Exercise, however, does seem to be a more permanent means of losing and maintaining a healthy weight.  The research team suggests a lifestyle that incorporates a consistent diet and regular exercise is the optimum way to stay healthy and slow the aging process although long-term studies are desired to determine the effect of reduced T3 levels over the course of a lifetime.

The research team has published its findings in the June 2008 issue of the journal, Rejuvenation Research.

Source: Saint Louis University

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