According to scientists, a very low calorie diet can help the heart age more slowly. The findings acknowledged earlier research on mice and rats that demonstrate the cardiac benefits of a limited calorie diet.
According to scientists, a very low calorie diet can help the heart age more slowly. The findings acknowledged earlier research on mice and rats that demonstrate the cardiac benefits of a limited calorie diet.
The investigators studied the heart function of 25 members of the Caloric Restriction Society, aged 41 to 64, consuming 1,400 to 2,000 nutritionally balanced calories daily. They were compared to 25 people who eat a typical Western diet, consuming 2,000 to 3,000 daily calories.
The findings revealed that people restricting the consumption of calories had the heart functions of much younger people- about 15 years younger than their age. Ultrasound exams showed group members had more elastic hearts than most people their age; their hearts were also able to relax between beats in a way similar to hearts in younger people.
“This is the first study to demonstrate that long-term calorie restriction with optimal nutrition has cardiac-specific effects that (delay or reverse) age-associated declines in heart function,” said Luigi Fontana, lead author and assistant professor of medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. According to Fontana, consuming less food is not the answer. Members of the study group eat food resembling a traditional Mediterranean diet, focusing on vegetables, olive oil, beans, whole grains, fish and fruit. Refined and processed foods are avoided, as well as soft drinks, desserts, white bread and other sources of “empty” calories. For the general public, the scientists recommend a moderate reduction in consumption of calories, combined with moderate, regular physical activity.
Research on mice and rats discovered that life span can be stretched by about 30% with stringent and consistent caloric restriction. That study also indicated that restricting calories reduce the risk of having cancer. According to scientists, heart attacks and strokes cause about 40% of deaths in Western countries. Cancer causes another 30%. Fontana claimed those deaths are attributable to “secondary aging” from high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and other often-preventable conditions.
It has been known for a long time that a healthy diet and physical activity can reduce risks. But the research suggests that caloric restriction combined with optimal nutrition can achieve even more. According to Fontana most members of the study group had relatives who suffered heart attacks or strokes, so it was unlikely their genetic makeup was a contributing factor to their unusually healthy hearts.
“We don’t know how long each individual will end up living, but they certainly have a longer life expectancy than average because they’re most likely not going to die from a heart attack, stroke or diabetes,” said professor John O. Holloszy, who worked on the study. “And if, in fact, their hearts are aging more slowly, it’s conceivable they’ll live for a very long time.”
