Calorie restriction explained

Calorie restriction (also known as caloric restriction or energy restriction) is a dietary regimen that reduces the energy intake from foods and beverages without incurring malnutrition.[1] [2] The possible effect of calorie restriction on body weight management, longevity, and aging-associated diseases has been an active area of research.[1]

Dietary guidelines

Caloric intake control, and reduction for overweight individuals, is recommended by US dietary guidelines and science-based societies.[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Calorie restriction is recommended for people with diabetes[9] [10] and prediabetes, in combination with physical exercise and a weight loss goal of 5-15% for diabetes and 7-10% for prediabetes to prevent progression to diabetes. Mild calorie restriction may be beneficial for pregnant women to reduce weight gain (without weight loss) and reduce perinatal risks for both the mother and child.[11] [12] For overweight or obese individuals, calorie restriction may improve health through weight loss, although a gradual weight regain of 1kg-2kgkg (02lb-04lbkg) per year may occur.

Risks of malnutrition

The term "calorie restriction" as used in the study of aging refers to dietary regimens that reduce calorie intake without incurring malnutrition.[1] If a restricted diet is not designed to include essential nutrients, malnutrition may result in serious deleterious effects, as shown in the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. This study was conducted during World War II on a group of lean men, who restricted their calorie intake by 45%[13] for six months and composed roughly 77% of their diet with carbohydrates.[14] As expected, this malnutrition resulted in metabolic adaptations, such as decreased body fat, improved lipid profile, and decreased resting heart rate. The experiment also caused negative effects, such as anemia, edema, muscle wasting, weakness, dizziness, irritability, lethargy, and depression.

Typical low-calorie diets may not supply sufficient nutrient intake that is typically included in a calorie restriction diet.[15] [16] [17]

Possible side effects

People losing weight during calorie restriction risk developing side effects, such as cold sensitivity, menstrual irregularities, infertility, or hormonal changes.[18]

Research

Humans

Decreasing caloric intake by 20-30%, while fulfilling nutrient requirements, has been found to remedy diseases of aging, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and diabetes in humans, and result in an average loss of 7.9kg (17.4lb) in body weight, but because of the long lifespan of humans, evidence that calorie restriction could prevent age-related disease in humans remains under preliminary research.[1] [19] While calorie restriction leads to weight and fat loss, the precise amount of calorie intake and associated fat mass for optimal health in humans is not known.[1] Moderate amounts of calorie restriction may have harmful effects on certain population groups, such as lean people with low body fat.[1]

Life extension

As of 2021, intermittent fasting and calorie restriction remain under preliminary research to assess the possible effects on disease burden and increased lifespan during aging, although the relative risks associated with long-term fasting or calorie restriction remain undetermined.[1]

Intermittent fasting refers to periods with intervals during which no food but only clear fluids are ingested – such as a period of daily time-restricted eating with a window of 8 to 12 hours for any caloric intake – and could be combined with overall calorie restriction and variants of the Mediterranean diet which may contribute to long-term cardiovascular health and longevity.[20]

Minnesota Starvation Experiment

The Minnesota Starvation Experiment examined the physical and psychological effects of extreme calorie restriction on 32 young and lean 24-year-old men during a 40% reduction in energy intake for 6 months. The study was designed to mimic dietary conditions during World War II. Participants could only eat 1800 kcal per day, but were required to walk 5 km per day and expend 3000 calories.[21] The men lost about 25% of their body weight of which 67% was fat mass and 17% fat-free mass. The quality of the diet was insufficient to accurately represent the diet during war due to the inadequate consumption of protein, and a lack of fruits and vegetables. Despite the extreme calorie restriction, the experiment was not representative of true calorie-restrictive diets, which adhere to intake guidelines for macronutrients and micronutrients. Chronic weakness, decreased aerobic capacity, and painful lower limb edema was caused by the malnourished calorie restrictive diet.[22] Emotional distress, confusion, apathy, depression, hysteria, hypochondriasis, suicidal thoughts, and loss of sex drive were among the abnormal psychological behaviors that occurred within six weeks.

Intensive care

, current clinical guidelines recommend that hospitals ensure that the patients get fed with 80–100% of energy expenditure, the normocaloric feeding. A systematic review investigated whether people in intensive care units have different outcomes with normocaloric feeding or hypocaloric feeding, and found no difference.[23] However, a comment criticized the inadequate control of protein intake, and raised concerns that hypocaloric feeding safety should be further assessed with underweight critically ill people.[24]

Non-human primates

A calorie restriction study started in 1987 by the National Institute on Aging showed that calorie restriction did not extend years of life or reduce age-related deaths in non-obese rhesus macaques.[25] It did improve certain measures of health, however.[26] These results were publicized as being different from the Wisconsin rhesus macaque calorie restriction study, which also started in 1987 and showed an increase in the lifespan of rhesus macaques following calorie restriction.

In a 2017 report on rhesus monkeys, caloric restriction in the presence of adequate nutrition was effective in delaying the effects of aging.[27] [28] Older age of onset, female sex, lower body weight and fat mass, reduced food intake, diet quality, and lower fasting blood glucose levels were factors associated with fewer disorders of aging and with improved survival rates.[27] Specifically, reduced food intake was beneficial in adult and older primates, but not in younger monkeys.[27] The study indicated that caloric restriction provided health benefits with fewer age-related disorders in elderly monkeys and, because rhesus monkeys are genetically similar to humans, the benefits and mechanisms of caloric restriction may apply to human health during aging.[29] [30]

Activity levels

Calorie restriction preserves muscle tissue in nonhuman primates[31] [32] and rodents.[33] Muscle tissue grows when stimulated, so it has been suggested that the calorie-restricted test animals exercised more than their companions on higher calories, perhaps because animals enter a foraging state during calorie restriction. However, studies show that overall activity levels are no higher in calorie restriction than ad libitum animals in youth.[34]

Sirtuin-mediated mechanism

See main article: Caloric restriction mimetic.

Preliminary research indicates that sirtuins are activated by fasting and serve as "energy sensors" during metabolism.[35] Sirtuins, specifically Sir2 (found in yeast) have been implicated in the aging of yeast,[36] and are a class of highly conserved, NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase enzymes.[37] Sir2 homologs have been identified in a wide range of organisms from bacteria to humans.[36] [38]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Lee MB, Hill CM, Bitto A, Kaeberlein M . Antiaging diets: Separating fact from fiction . Science . 374 . 6570 . eabe7365 . November 2021 . 34793210 . 8841109 . 10.1126/science.abe7365 .
  2. Flanagan EW, Most J, Mey JT, Redman LM . Calorie Restriction and Aging in Humans . Annual Review of Nutrition . 40 . 105–133 . September 2020 . 32559388 . 9042193 . 10.1146/annurev-nutr-122319-034601 .
  3. Web site: US Department of Health and Human Services. . 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans - health.gov . health.gov . Skyhorse Publishing Inc. . 30 September 2019 . 2017.
  4. Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, Buroker AB, Goldberger ZD, Hahn EJ, Himmelfarb CD, Khera A, Lloyd-Jones D, McEvoy JW, Michos ED, Miedema MD, Muñoz D, Smith SC, Virani SS, Williams KA, Yeboah J, Ziaeian B . 6 . 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines . Circulation . 140 . 11 . e596–e646 . September 2019 . 30879355 . 7734661 . 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678 . free .
  5. Web site: Obesity: maintaining a healthy weight and preventing excess weight gain . pathways.nice.org.uk.
  6. Jensen MD, Ryan DH, Apovian CM, Ard JD, Comuzzie AG, Donato KA, Hu FB, Hubbard VS, Jakicic JM, Kushner RF, Loria CM, Millen BE, Nonas CA, Pi-Sunyer FX, Stevens J, Stevens VJ, Wadden TA, Wolfe BM, Yanovski SZ, Jordan HS, Kendall KA, Lux LJ, Mentor-Marcel R, Morgan LC, Trisolini MG, Wnek J, Anderson JL, Halperin JL, Albert NM, Bozkurt B, Brindis RG, Curtis LH, DeMets D, Hochman JS, Kovacs RJ, Ohman EM, Pressler SJ, Sellke FW, Shen WK, Smith SC, Tomaselli GF . 6 . 2013 AHA/ACC/TOS guideline for the management of overweight and obesity in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and The Obesity Society . Circulation . 129 . 25 Suppl 2 . S102–S138 . June 2014 . 24222017 . 5819889 . 10.1161/01.cir.0000437739.71477.ee .
  7. Web site: Diet - NICE Pathways . pathways.nice.org.uk.
  8. Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, Garber AJ, Hurley DL, Jastreboff AM, Nadolsky K, Pessah-Pollack R, Plodkowski R . 6 . American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology Comprehensive Clinical Practice Guidelines for Medical Care of Patients with Obesity . Endocrine Practice . 22 . 1–203 . July 2016 . Suppl 3 . 27219496 . 10.4158/EP161365.GL . free .
  9. 5. Lifestyle Management: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2019 . Diabetes Care . 42 . Suppl 1 . S46–S60 . January 2019 . 30559231 . 10.2337/dc19-S005 . free . American Diabetes Association .
  10. Evert AB, Dennison M, Gardner CD, Garvey WT, Lau KH, MacLeod J, Mitri J, Pereira RF, Rawlings K, Robinson S, Saslow L, Uelmen S, Urbanski PB, Yancy WS . 6 . Nutrition Therapy for Adults With Diabetes or Prediabetes: A Consensus Report . Diabetes Care . 42 . 5 . 731–754 . May 2019 . 31000505 . 7011201 . 10.2337/dci19-0014 . Professional society guidelines . free .
  11. Glazier JD, Hayes DJ, Hussain S, D'Souza SW, Whitcombe J, Heazell AE, Ashton N . The effect of Ramadan fasting during pregnancy on perinatal outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis . BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth . 18 . 1 . 421 . October 2018 . 30359228 . 6202808 . 10.1186/s12884-018-2048-y . free .
  12. Thangaratinam S, Rogozinska E, Jolly K, Glinkowski S, Roseboom T, Tomlinson JW, Kunz R, Mol BW, Coomarasamy A, Khan KS . 6 . Effects of interventions in pregnancy on maternal weight and obstetric outcomes: meta-analysis of randomised evidence . BMJ . 344 . e2088 . May 2012 . 22596383 . 3355191 . 10.1136/bmj.e2088 .
  13. Keys A 1950, p. 114.
  14. Keys A, Brozek J, Henschels A & Mickelsen O & Taylor H. The Biology of Human Starvation, 1950. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis
  15. St Jeor ST, Howard BV, Prewitt TE, Bovee V, Bazzarre T, Eckel RH . Dietary protein and weight reduction: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism of the American Heart Association . Circulation . 104 . 15 . 1869–1874 . October 2001 . 11591629 . 10.1161/hc4001.096152 . free .
  16. de Souza RJ, Swain JF, Appel LJ, Sacks FM . Alternatives for macronutrient intake and chronic disease: a comparison of the OmniHeart diets with popular diets and with dietary recommendations . The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . 88 . 1 . 1–11 . July 2008 . 18614716 . 2674146 . 10.1093/ajcn/88.1.1 .
  17. Ma Y, Pagoto SL, Griffith JA, Merriam PA, Ockene IS, Hafner AR, Olendzki BC . A dietary quality comparison of popular weight-loss plans . Journal of the American Dietetic Association . 107 . 10 . 1786–1791 . October 2007 . 17904938 . 2040023 . 10.1016/j.jada.2007.07.013 .
  18. Marzetti E, Wohlgemuth SE, Anton SD, Bernabei R, Carter CS, Leeuwenburgh C . Cellular mechanisms of cardioprotection by calorie restriction: state of the science and future perspectives . Clinics in Geriatric Medicine . 25 . 4 . 715–32, ix . November 2009 . 19944269 . 2786899 . 10.1016/j.cger.2009.07.002 .
  19. Caristia S, Vito M, Sarro A, Leone A, Pecere A, Zibetti A, Filigheddu N, Zeppegno P, Prodam F, Faggiano F, Marzullo P . 6 . Is Caloric Restriction Associated with Better Healthy Aging Outcomes? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials . Nutrients . 12 . 8 . 2290 . July 2020 . 32751664 . 7468870 . 10.3390/nu12082290 . free .
  20. O'Keefe JH, Torres-Acosta N, O'Keefe EL, Saeed IM, Lavie CJ, Smith SE, Ros E . A pesco-Mediterranean diet with intermittent fasting: JACC Review Topic of the Week . Journal of the American College of Cardiology . 76 . 12 . 1484–1493 . September 2020 . 32943166 . 10.1016/j.jacc.2020.07.049 . 221787788 . free .
  21. Most J, Tosti V, Redman LM, Fontana L . Calorie restriction in humans: An update . Ageing Research Reviews . 39 . 36–45 . October 2017 . 27544442 . 10.1016/j.arr.2016.08.005 . Nutritional interventions modulating aging and age-associated diseases . 5315691 .
  22. Book: Keys A, Brožek J, Henschel A, Mickelsen O, Taylor HL . The biology of human starvation (2 vols). . Univ. of Minnesota Press . 1950.
  23. Marik PE, Hooper MH . Normocaloric versus hypocaloric feeding on the outcomes of ICU patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Intensive Care Medicine . 42 . 3 . 316–323 . March 2016 . 26556615 . 10.1007/s00134-015-4131-4 . 37653149 .
  24. Bitzani M . Comments on Marik and Hooper: Normocaloric versus hypocaloric feeding on the outcomes of ICU patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis . Intensive Care Medicine . 42 . 4 . 628–629 . April 2016 . 26880090 . 10.1007/s00134-016-4248-0 . 34072936 .
  25. Web site: NIH study finds calorie restriction does not affect survival . 2012-08-29 . . May 17, 2016.
  26. Web site: Diet's Link to Longevity: After 2 Studies Diverge, a Search for Consensus . The New York Times . April 1, 2014 . Nicholas Wade . May 17, 2016.
  27. Mattison JA, Colman RJ, Beasley TM, Allison DB, Kemnitz JW, Roth GS, Ingram DK, Weindruch R, de Cabo R, Anderson RM . 6 . Caloric restriction improves health and survival of rhesus monkeys . Nature Communications . 8 . 1 . 14063 . January 2017 . 28094793 . 5247583 . 10.1038/ncomms14063 . 2017NatCo...814063M .
  28. Web site: Calorie restriction lets monkeys live long and prosper. ScienceDirect. 17 January 2017. 15 February 2017.
  29. Mattison JA, Roth GS, Beasley TM, Tilmont EM, Handy AM, Herbert RL, Longo DL, Allison DB, Young JE, Bryant M, Barnard D, Ward WF, Qi W, Ingram DK, de Cabo R . 6 . Impact of caloric restriction on health and survival in rhesus monkeys from the NIA study . Nature . 489 . 7415 . 318–321 . September 2012 . 22932268 . 3832985 . 10.1038/nature11432 . 2012Natur.489..318M .
  30. Vaughan KL, Kaiser T, Peaden R, Anson RM, de Cabo R, Mattison JA . Caloric Restriction Study Design Limitations in Rodent and Nonhuman Primate Studies . The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences . 73 . 1 . 48–53 . December 2017 . 28977341 . 5861872 . 10.1093/gerona/glx088 .
  31. McKiernan SH, Colman RJ, Aiken E, Evans TD, Beasley TM, Aiken JM, Weindruch R, Anderson RM . 6 . Cellular adaptation contributes to calorie restriction-induced preservation of skeletal muscle in aged rhesus monkeys . Experimental Gerontology . 47 . 3 . 229–236 . March 2012 . 22226624 . 3321729 . 10.1016/j.exger.2011.12.009 .
  32. Colman RJ, Beasley TM, Allison DB, Weindruch R . Attenuation of sarcopenia by dietary restriction in rhesus monkeys . The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences . 63 . 6 . 556–559 . June 2008 . 18559628 . 2812805 . 10.1093/gerona/63.6.556 .
  33. Dirks Naylor AJ, Leeuwenburgh C . Sarcopenia: the role of apoptosis and modulation by caloric restriction . Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews . 36 . 1 . 19–24 . January 2008 . 18156949 . 10.1097/jes.0b013e31815ddd9d . 4596744 . free . https://web.archive.org/web/20211202203828/https://journals.lww.com/acsm-essr/Fulltext/2008/01000/Sarcopenia__The_Role_of_poptosis_and_Modulation_by.5.aspx . 2021-12-02 .
  34. Faulks SC, Turner N, Else PL, Hulbert AJ . Calorie restriction in mice: effects on body composition, daily activity, metabolic rate, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, and membrane fatty acid composition . The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences . 61 . 8 . 781–794 . August 2006 . 16912094 . 10.1093/gerona/61.8.781 . free .
  35. Chang HC, Guarente L . SIRT1 and other sirtuins in metabolism . Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism . 25 . 3 . 138–145 . March 2014 . 24388149 . 3943707 . 10.1016/j.tem.2013.12.001 . 1721.1/104067 .
  36. Guarente L . Sirtuins in aging and disease . Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology . 72 . 483–488 . 2007 . 18419308 . 10.1101/sqb.2007.72.024 . free .
  37. Lin SJ, Ford E, Haigis M, Liszt G, Guarente L . Calorie restriction extends yeast life span by lowering the level of NADH . Genes & Development . 18 . 1 . 12–16 . January 2004 . 14724176 . 314267 . 10.1101/gad.1164804 .
  38. Kaeberlein M, McVey M, Guarente L . The SIR2/3/4 complex and SIR2 alone promote longevity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by two different mechanisms . Genes & Development . 13 . 19 . 2570–2580 . October 1999 . 10521401 . 317077 . 10.1101/gad.13.19.2570 .