Calorie Restriction for Seniors
Senior Journal cites research that says older folks can benefit from calorie restriction, even if they start it later in life.
Physiological changes associated with aging include cell damage and the emergence of cancer cells. The most important effects of low calorie diets and longevity therapeutics given late in life may not be to prevent this damage, but instead to stimulate the body to eliminate damaged cells that may become cancerous, and to stimulate repair in damaged cells like neurons and heart cells.
Low calorie diets drive the body to replace and repair damaged cells. This process usually slows down as we age, but low calorie diets make the body re-synthesize and turn over more cells – a situation associated with youth and good health.
The article focuses on the researcher’s search for CR mimetics. But it is interesting to see that they seem to think it’s never too late to start.
