Just reducing calories by 12% can help people live longer

New research has shown that just a small change to your diet could make a big impact on your later life.

Cutting your calorie intake by just 12% is enough to boost a person’s energy and rejuvenate muscles, according to a study from the National Institute on Aging (NIH), a division of the US National Institutes of Health, shows the diet stimulates healthy ageing genes allowing us to live longer, healthier lives.

Calorie reduction has long been known to delay the progression of age-related illness in animals but the study, published in the journal Aging Cell, suggests this may also apply to humans.

For the study, scientists used thigh muscle biopsies from participants that were collected when individuals joined the study and at one-year and two-year follow ups. The group of volunteers studied by the NIH set out to cut their calorie intake by 25% across two years but only managed 12%.

But the researchers found even this slight reduction in calories was enough to activate most of the biological pathways that are important in healthy ageing.

Corresponding author and Scientific Director at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Dr Luigi Ferrucci said: “A 12% reduction in calorie intake is very modest.”

“This kind of small reduction in calorie intake is doable and may make a big difference in your health.”

 

Previous studies have shown that when on a calories restriction diet people lose an average of 10kg in the first year and managed to maintain that weight for the second year. Also, despite losing significant muscle mass participants maintained all their muscle strength.

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A special thanks to our contributors

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Caroline Egan

DCM Media, agedcare101

Caroline has a wealth of experience writing within the retirement and aged care sector and is a contributing journalist for the Villages.com.au and agedcare101 blog and accompanying newsletters.

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Ian Horswill

Journalist

Ian is a journalist, writer and sub-editor for the aged care sector, working at The DCM Group. He writes for The Weekly Source, agedcare101, villages.com.au and the DCM Institute fortnightly newsletter Friday. Ian is in daily contact with CEOs of retirement living, land lease and the aged care operations and makes a new contact every week. He investigates media releases, LinkedIn and Facebook for a good source for ideas for stories.

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Lauren Broomham

Retirement and Aged Care Journalist

Lauren is a journalist for villages.com.au, agedcare101 and The Donaldson Sisters. Growing up in a big family in small town communities, she has always had a love for the written word, joining her local library at the age of six months. With over eight years' experience in writing and editing, she is a keen follower of news and current affairs with a nose for a good story.

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Jill Donaldson

Physiotherapist

Jill has been practicing as a clinical physiotherapist for 30 years. For the last 13 years she has worked solely in the Aged Care sector in more than 50 metropolitan and regional facilities. Jill has also toured care facilities in the US and Africa and is a passionate advocate for both the residents in aged care and the staff who care for them. She researches and writes for DCM Media.

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Chris Baynes

DCM Media, agedcare101

Chris has been a journalist and publisher in the retirement village and aged care sectors for 11 years. He has visited over 250 retirement villages and 50 aged care facilities both within Australia and internationally. Chris is a regular speaker at industry conferences plus is a frequent radio commentator.

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Annie Donaldson

Nurse and Carer

Annie has a long career in both nursing and the media. She has planned and co-ordinated the medical support from both international TV productions and major stadium events. In recent years she has been a primary family carer plus involved in structured carer support.