Oct 20, 2021 20:00:00

Studies show that reducing the frequency of meals extends lifespan, and calorie restriction alone may be meaningless

Calorie restriction for health management is widely practiced, and in recent years,

health management methods that limit the time to eat have become a hot topic. Meanwhile, a research result was reported that 'experiments using mice have revealed that reducing the frequency of meals extends lifespan.'

Fasting drives the metabolic, molecular and geroprotective effects of a calorie-restricted diet in mice | Nature Metabolism
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-021-00466-9

Fasting is required to see the full benefit of calorie restriction in mice
https://news.wisc.edu/fasting-is-required-to-see-the-full-benefit-of-calorie-restriction-in-mice/

Fasting May Offer Health Benefits Beyond Dieting, Experiment in Mice Suggests
https://www.sciencealert.com/fasting-may-offer-health-benefits-beyond-dieting-experiment-in-mice-suggests

Previous studies have shown that calorie restriction helps improve the symptoms of diabetes and alleviate the negative effects of aging. However, Dudley Ramming, who studies metabolism and diabetes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison , said in past studies that 'feeding laboratory animals only once a day' was used to 'feed calories.' He pointed out that it was not possible to evaluate which effect of 'restriction' or 'restriction of meal frequency' was exhibited, and investigated the effects of 'restriction of calorie intake' and 'restriction of meal frequency' on mice.

A research team led by Mr. Ramming described mice as ' calorie intake: no limit, meal frequency: no limit ', ' calorie intake: 30% reduction, meal frequency: no limit ', ' calorie intake: no limit, meal frequency: once a day' We divided them into 4 groups, 'calorie intake: 30% reduction, meal frequency: once a day ', and compared changes in health status and differences in lifespan.

As a result of the experiment, in mice with both calorie restriction and diet frequency restricted, 'improvement of blood glucose control ability', 'efficiency of energy production from fat', 'protection from weakness in old age', 'longevity than other groups' However, these changes were not observed in the group that restricted calories only and did not limit the frequency of meals.

Furthermore, even in the group that restricted only the frequency of meals without calorie restriction, 'improvement of blood sugar level control ability' and 'efficiency of energy production from fat' were observed. The calorie-restricted group also died about eight months earlier than mice that restricted both calories and diet, although 'improved glycemic control' was observed.

From these results, the research team concludes that 'to maximize the benefits of calorie restriction, you need to limit your diet.' 'We need to know if the effectiveness of dietary restrictions revealed in mice can also be applied to humans. If dietary frequency restrictions are a major driver of health, we need to incorporate them. We need to study the diet, 'he said, showing his willingness to investigate whether the results of this study can be applied to humans.

Meanwhile, Stephen O'Reilly, who studies metabolism at the University of Cambridge, said, 'The average lifespan of mice is about 2 years, and the average lifespan of humans is about 80 years. It may take more than 50 years of research to test. '