Calorie restriction Warning

Calorie restriction Warning. CR (calorie restriction) appears to be the newest longevity strategy.

Although obesity has been shown to reduce the human life span and can give rise to a number of serious medical conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and cardio-vascular problems, diets restricting calories might not be good for everyone.

If you are considering CR, do read the research AND do consult your physician so you are assured that you do not have any medical conditions that could be made worse but such an diet. Anyone thinking of adopting such a program should consult a reputable health care provider first.

Some scientists have published articles giving Calorie restriction Warning information.

Here are some Calorie restriction Warning papers that have been published in recent issues of scientific journals.

  • Journal Nutr Health Aging. 2008 "The danger of weight loss in the elderly" by SL Miller and RR Wolfe of the Donald W Reynolds Institute on Aging, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, USA. Summary abstract of this study: " Aging is generally accompanied by weight loss made up of both fat mass and fat-free mass. As more people, including elderly, are overweight or obese, weight loss is recommended to improve health. Health risks are decreased in overweight children and adults by dieting and exercise, but the health benefits of weight loss in elderly, particularly by calorie restriction, are uncertain. Rapid unintentional weight loss in elderly is usually indicative of underlying disease and accelerates the muscle loss which normally occurs with aging. Intentional weight loss, even when excess fat mass is targeted also includes accelerated muscle loss which has been shown in older persons to correlate negatively with functional capacity for independent living. Sarcopenic obesity, the coexistence of diminished lean mass and increased fat mass, characterizes a population particularly at risk for functional impairment since both sarcopenia (relative deficiency of skeletal muscle mass and strength) and obesity have been shown to predict disability. However, indices of overweight and obesity such as body mass index (BMI) do not correlate as strongly with adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease in elderly as compared to younger individuals. Further, weight loss and low BMI in older persons are associated with mortality in some studies. On the other hand, studies have shown improvement in risk factors after weight loss in overweight/obese elderly. The recent focus on pro-inflammatory factors related to adiposity suggest that fat loss could ameliorate some catabolic conditions of aging since some cytokines may directly impact muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. Simply decreasing weight may also ease mechanical burden on weak joints and muscle, thus improving mobility. However, until a strategy is proven whereby further loss of muscle mass can be prevented, weight loss by caloric restriction in individuals with sarcopenic obesity should likely be avoided.
  • Rejuvenation Res. Some people have claimed that restricting calories could impair cognitive functioning. We do not have many studies to report but there is one that was published in June 2007 in the journal "Examination of cognitive function during six months of calorie restriction: results of a randomized controlled trial." by researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. BACKGROUND: Calorie restriction increases longevity in many organisms, and calorie restriction or its mimetic might increase longevity in humans. It is unclear if calorie restriction/dieting contributes to cognitive impairment. During this randomized controlled trial, the effect of 6 months of calorie restriction on cognitive functioning was tested. METHODS: Participants (n = 48) were randomized to one of four groups. control (weight maintenance) calorie restriction (CR; 25% restriction) CR plus structured exercise (CR + EX, 12.5% restriction plus 12.5% increased energy expenditure via exercise), or low-calorie diet (LCD; 890 kcal/d diet until 15% weight loss, followed by weight maintenance). Cognitive tests (verbal memory, visual memory, attention/concentration) were conducted at baseline and months 3 and 6. Mixed linear models tested if cognitive function changed significantly from baseline to months 3 and 6, and if this change differed by group. Correlation analysis was used to determine if average daily energy deficit (quantified from change in body energy stores) was associated with change in cognitive test performance for the three dieting groups combined. RESULTS: No consistent pattern of verbal memory, visual retention/memory, or attention/concentration deficits emerged during the trial. Daily energy deficit was not significantly associated with change in cognitive test performance. CONCLUSIONS: This randomized controlled trial suggests that calorie restriction/dieting was not associated with a consistent pattern of cognitive impairment. These conclusions must be interpreted in the context of study limitations, namely small sample size and limited statistical power. Previous reports of cognitive impairment might reflect sampling biases or information processing biases.
Not all scientists give Calorie Restriction Warning: Click here for positive effects on longevity articles

Here is a short History of the movement and the scientists who back this Anti-Aging, Longevitiy practice

Go to Longevity: list of all articles

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