How much to eat to increase longevity the most?

An important study just published in the scientific journal Nature, has found that eating fewer calories significantly increases lifespan, but how much less specifically, let's see what the research says!

Breakthrough research on longevity

For nearly a century, laboratory studies have consistently shown that animals that eat less food or eat less frequently live longer. However, scientists have not yet figured out why restricted eating prolongs life and how it might be effective in humans.

Now, researchers at the US-based Jackson Laboratory (JAX) have monitored the health of mice fed different diets to further explore these questions.

A diet of only 60% of basic calories increases life expectancy the most

The study was carefully designed to ensure that each mouse had its own genetic makeup, better reflecting the genetic diversity of humans. This increases the relevance of the results, marking it as one of the most important contributions to aging and longevity research to date, according to the science site Scitech Daily.

How much to eat to increase life expectancy the most?

The study was conducted on 1,000 mice, divided into 5 groups depending on their diet, as follows:

• All you can eat.
• Eat only 60% of your daily calorie intake.
• Eat only 80% of your daily calorie intake.
• Fast one day a week but eat as much as you want on the other days.
• Fast two days in a row each week but eat as much as you want on the other days.

The mice were then monitored for the rest of their lives with periodic blood tests and comprehensive assessments of their overall health.

Results found:

• Ad libitum mice live an average of 25 months.
• Mice fasting 1-2 days per week live an average of 28 months.
• Those fed 80% of their basal calories lived an average of 30 months.
• Those fed 60 percent of their basal calories lived an average of 34 months, according to Scitech Daily .

The results also showed that eating fewer calories but maintaining weight lived the longest.

But within each group, the lifespan ranged widely. For example, the mice that ate the fewest calories lived from a few months to 4.5 years.

From this result, it can be seen that a diet of only 60% of basic calories helps increase life expectancy the most.

However, when they looked at why there was such a wide range of lifespans, the authors found that genetic factors had a much larger impact on lifespan than diet, suggesting that genetic traits play a major role in how diet affects health and longevity.

What's also noteworthy is that the results also showed that the mice that maintained their weight and didn't lose body fat lived the longest.

Researchers concluded that low-calorie diets extended the lifespans of mice. Surprisingly, the mice that lived the longest on low-calorie diets lost the least weight despite eating less. Conversely, those that lost the most weight on low-calorie diets tended to have low energy, weakened immune systems, reproductive systems, and shorter lifespans.

The study's lead author, Professor Gary Churchill from JAX, said: "This study shows the importance of resilience. The fittest animals that maintain their weight even when calorie restricted are the ones that live the longest. The study also shows that moderate calorie restriction can be a way to balance health and extend lifespan, according to Scitech Daily.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phat-hien-bat-ngo-an-bao-nhieu-thi-tang-tuoi-tho-nhieu-nhat-185241026144731087.htm