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Sunday, October 4, 2009

The Anti-aging benefits of Caloric Restriction

By Alex Ariel Sanders

Nobody remains unaware of the ever popular diet fact that focuses on losing weight by cutting calories in one's diet. Caloric restriction usually makes us think about diets that end up making us hungry and deprived. Scientific evidence supports the notion that caloric restriction may lead to longevity health benefits aside from basically just losing a few pounds! There are studies conducted that support the slowing of the aging process with caloric restriction.

Fewer calories do not necessarily mean less nutrition. This idea is about making the body eat right. The best way to start this is not by lessening how much is being consumed by the body but by modifying the kind of the foods taken in. Actually, the highest nutrient values can be found in fruits, vegetables, grains, salmon, tuna, trout and beans. They have lesser calories and high nutrient density.

Based on modern studies on primates, worms, mice and flies, a longer and healthier life is possible through a combination of a lower calorie intake and a nutrient dense diet. Along with the quantity comes the quality of life as diseases that indicate aging, such as heart problems, high blood pressure, dementia and the likes, are avoided.

Measurements taken of the regions of the brain that control cognitive ability and memory show that there is far less atrophy of brain tissue in the animals on a restricted calorie diet. The control group were fed healthy foods but allowed to eat as much as they wanted. This group showed all the expected signs of aging including brain atrophy and diseases of aging. Mice and rats which were on a 30% caloric restriction slowed aging by 30%-40%.

A human male takes in a little over 2600 calories a day on average. However, it is quite impossible to specify the amount of calories everyone should consume. This is because of a couple of factors such as body size and metabolism. More so, different individuals engage in various amounts of physical activity on a daily basis. Two different individuals may consume the same amount and type of food but still vary in body weight because of the above-mentioned individual differences.

The key to slow down aging through less calorie intake is first by taking note of the number of calories taken in a day. Take note of this for a whole month to determine your average calorie intake. Lessen the amount of calories consumed by 5 percent on the second month. You should, however, be careful not to be left hungry or starving. The foundation of the whole process lies on the modification of one's diet. The high calorie foods should be replaced with foods of lower caloric value which are rich in nutrients.

Go to your doctor and have him establish a baseline for you of cholesterol levels, fasting blood sugar, and blood pressure. Each month, reduce your caloric intake by another five percent. At the end of the month, see your doctor again and have these three numbers rechecked. If they show improvement, you may very well be slowing the aging process in your body. You can reduce calories by another five percent for another month and repeat the tests. When your numbers level out and stop showing improvement, you will have reached what should be the optimal caloric intake to assure you of a longer, healthier life.

It has been scientifically found that Resveratrol, which is a compound found in grape skins and red wine, can mimic the anti-aging health benefits of caloric restriction. Studies at the University of Florida revealed that "the effects of low doses of Resveratrol were comparable to caloric restriction, the hallmark of life extension". It is never too late to get a head start on providing your body with the conditions it needs to live a longer and happier life. However, if restricting your daily calories by 15%-30% seems too hard, then when why not consider Resveratrol? Should you get healthier and slow aging with caloric restriction or Resveratrol? It is your choice. - 17273

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