Anti Aging Calorie Restriction Diet

While most anti aging regimes are all about what you put into your body, or at least onto it, the anti aging calorie restriction diet is all about what you don't put into it: food, or at least not a lot of it.

1. The facts. An anti aging calorie restriction diet generally calls for a permanent 20 to 30 percent calorie reduction below what a normal weight personal would usually eat to maintain their weight. Proponents of the diet claim it results in a slowing of the aging process, a reduction in the number of chronic illnesses experienced, and longer life spans.
2. The benefits. Animal studies conducted on rodents showed a 30 to 60 percent calorie reduction resulted in a 30 to 60 percent increase in life span. The anti aging calorie restriction diet also curtailed or delayed the development of chronic diseases associated with aging in the rodents. When rodents with Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease adhered to the diet, it effectively reversed nerve deterioration. There is currently insufficient data to accurately predict exactly what benefits humans might receive from an anti aging calorie restriction diet, but doctors predict that the diet could have a positive impact on blood pressure, blood sugar, body fat, cholesterol levels, and body mass. Preliminary studies show that individuals who reduce their caloric intake by 25 percent also reduced their fasting insulin levels and core body temperatures.
3. The risks. Doctors warn that following an anti aging calorie restriction diet could also have negative health consequences. Women could experience menstrual irregularities and hormonal changes, and both genders could see a reduction of bone density and loss of muscle mass. Other side effects of an extreme low calorie diet could include dizziness, depression, anemia, lethargy, and irritability.

Doctors estimate that the anti aging calorie restriction diet could increase human life spans by an average of four to seventeen percent, but remember, that time comes at the end of your life, not when you're in your prime. You'll have to decide whether living in a permanent state of hunger is worth four extra years when you're 90.