Science & Technology

Calorie Free: A Way of Having a Long Lifespan Extension 

By Alexa Delos Santos

Copyread by Alyana Flores

May 4, 2024
2-min read

Eating healthy food and exercising are not the only ways to keep your body healthy for a long life. With the help of calorie restriction, your brain will be less damaged by the effects of aging and will extend your lifespan. Food is one of the essential things that people need to survive. We know that not all foods are good for one’s health, and overeating may affect your well-being and put you in danger. A balanced and healthy diet may help you have a healthy body and a long life to live.


A person can adopt a calorie-deficit diet to limit the calories they consume from food. This diet benefits individuals with a slow metabolism, as their bodies struggle to burn the calories they eat efficiently. Subsequently, it can help extend a person’s lifespan. 


A calorie-deficit diet, also known as calorie restriction, involves reducing the amount of calories a person consumes to promote health and weight loss. This diet does not require skipping meals altogether; rather, individuals limit their food intake, likely consuming fewer calories. It involves choosing foods with lower calorie content, which can be beneficial for those with slow metabolism as it enables them to burn calories more efficiently. 


Mark Mattson, a PhD and Chief of the Laboratory of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging, explains that a restricted-calorie diet enhances lifespan through two mechanisms. First, it reduces the production of harmful forms of oxygen. Second, it enhances cellular resistance to stress or changes. These mechanisms demonstrate the significant health benefits of calorie restriction, including halting aging and promoting longevity. 


Furthermore, there is a study that was funded by the National Institute on Aging and part of the National Institutes of Health that conducted the first-ever randomized controlled trial about the long-term impact of calorie restriction on the health of people. In phase 2 of this trial, which ran for two years, 220 adults were randomized to cut their calorie intake by as much as 25% or rather make it 500 calories for people who mostly consume 2,000 calories in a day, and with this, they don’t need to make changes in their diet. These participants were separated, which was a group of people for the calorie-restricted group, and from these groups, the researchers found out that after cutting their calories, they were able to slow the pace of their aging by 2% to 3%.


The results of the randomized clinical trial indicate that there is an impact on a person's life by doing a calorie restriction, which results in a person possibly living longer or slowing the aging process. People should follow this type of diet under the guidance of a dietitian because various diets have different impacts on individuals’ lives.


A person must know a calorie restriction, how it works, and the purpose of it for a them to be healthy and well-nourished. As mentioned, calorie restriction is a way of reducing or limiting calorie intake because calories are also needed and important for your body. After all, it helps the body to work properly, and this is the kind of energy that our body needs. Herewith, keeping our bodies healthy may help us to slow down the aging process and let us have a longer lifespan.