Alternative Health Blog

According to The New York Times this week, eating less and living longer works for monkeys. After studying a group of rhesus monkeys for 20 years, scientists found that those that were fed one-third less food aged more slowly than their peers, which were allowed to eat as much as they wanted. The calorie-restricted monkeys also showed less deterioration of muscle and brain matter, conditions that typically come with aging, and appeared to be on course to live up to 20 percent longer than the norm. For humans, that might mean extending life spans by seven to 15 years.

According to lead researcher Richard Weindruch of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, "We were frankly blown away by these findings." The results dovetail with other research indicating that caloric restriction can extend the lives of mice, dogs, yeast, fruit flies, and worms. A leaner diet is thought to trigger certain genes that evolved to protect the body in environments in which food is scarce. Translating the diet into human terms won't be easy, as few people can maintain a healthful diet of 30 percent fewer calories, Weindruch says. As seen in one of my favorite magazines The Week, he states "There is a fine line between a low enough level of calories but still enough to provide adequate nutrition." That's where nutritional supplements come in my friend! Lighten up and may you always be blessed with good health.