NIH Radio
A Low Calorie Diet May Affect Aging
Brief Description:
A low calorie diet may help you live longer according to a pilot study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging.
Transcript:
Akinso: A low calorie diet may help you live longer according to a pilot study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. Results from the study indicate that overweight people who cut their calories by 25 percent for six months have reduced fasting insulin levels and lower core body temperatures — two markers associated with increased longevity in humans. Dr. Evan Hadley, Director of the NIA's Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology Program says even though the study shows promise; people shouldn't take the findings as gospel just yet.
Hadley: This is very important. By no means does it show that this kind of diet would in fact create longer life. For that you need a longer study. It's important to remember that this is only a 6 month study. During this phase on a low calorie diet the people were still losing weight. Obviously people who are on low calorie diet for a long period of time; they wouldn't keep losing weight other wise they would disappear. After a while when you go on a low calorie diet your weight stabilizes out and you maintain your body weight though at a lower level than it would be if you ate more. So we still don't know much about the effects of staying on a low calorie diet for longer periods of time would be and that's an important thing to find out.
Akinso: Dr. Hadley said the evidence from controlled clinical trials such as this is crucial for understanding caloric restriction's effect on aging. A pilot study is a preliminary investigation to determine the feasibility of a larger study. Dr. Hadley said the trial is expected to start in the fall. This is Wally Akinso at the National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland.
About This Audio Report
Date: 3/28/2006
Reporter: Wally Akinso
Sound Bite: Dr. Evan Hadley
Topic: Aging
Institute(s): NIA
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