Science Calorie restriction does not prolong lifespan in monkeys.

[RGClark]

Severe Diet Doesn’t Prolong Life, at Least in Monkeys.
By GINA KOLATA
Published: August 29, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/s...esnt-prolong-life-study-of-monkeys-finds.html

This was a highly anticipated study because studies in lower animals showed extensions in lifespan on calorie restricted diets and the hope was the same would apply to humans.
That no effect was found in monkeys brings that belief in doubt.

Bob Clark

 

[Urwumpe]

No real surprise, since proper nutrition for higher animals is a way more complex aspect. We have more changing demands, that can't be expressed by calories alone, even chemically bad nutrition can have positive effects on mammals, if it is psychologically rewarding.

Even what your body needs can't be expressed by a simple theory. Some more sunlight because of a good summer, and you need different food than during a rainy summer to provide enough of the substances that your body requires.

 

[Ark]

We don't have to count calories anymore?

Awesome, time for dinner:

 

[Jarod]

Bad journalism is bad for the health.
It was not my understanding that calorie restriction could extend maximum lifespan.
The article even mentions a 2009 study and opposes its results where in fact they concur.
The article should say :
"As expected from studies on lower lifeforms and from a 2009 study, calorie restriction extends healthspan in monkeys with lower rates of cancer, lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar. Mean lifespan is extended, while maximum lifespan is not altered for females and males tend to live as long as females.
These results with monkeys give confidence that they can be transposed to humans."
That accounts for the published results, but I suppose healthspan, mean lifespan and maximum lifespan are difficult concepts to grasp for some people. Without understanding differences between each of these concepts, you're doomed to write an article with a lot of contradictions.

edit: this journalist even links to the article from Nature, even the short summary and graphs are clear enough to understand, some people are just plain stupid or they have their own agenda to lie.

 

[FADEC]

Doesn't surprise me either. Just like normal weight does not mean that people do live longer than people with overweight. People which are pre-obese actually do live longer statistically than people with normal weight and underweight regarding certain studies.

Being healthy and live long does depend on more factors than just on food.

Vegetarians/vegans for example statistically do live longer than the average population, regarding the vegetarian study from the German Cancer Research Center. This is often mistaken, because a lot of vegetarians/vegans think it's due to abandon meat/animal products. But they don't read all the lines. Because the study actually showed that vegetarians/vegans do live longer if they don't smoke and drink, and if they do sports on a regular base. It's not due to abandon meat. People who eat meat every once in a while with but have the same lifestyle (sports, not smoking and drinking) do live equally good and long. But the study (luckily and finally) showed that the so called malnourished vegetarian/vegan is a myth. It's not any less healthy than a usual mixed diet, if done properly.

My grandma is overweight for decades. She is now approaching 90 years. And she never worried about calories etc. She even did smoke for more than 50 years. But she stopped when she became 80 years old because she felt shat she had enough cigarettes :lol: And she never did any sports. She can't even swim...

And Jumbo soon is 83 years old. He already has exceeded the average age at death. And he really is an epicurean

 

[RGClark]

Doesn't surprise me either. Just like normal weight does not mean that people do live longer than people with overweight. People which are pre-obese actually do live longer statistically than people with normal weight and underweight regarding certain studies.
...

I hadn't heard that before. Do you have a reference?

Bob Clark

---------- Post added at 11:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:47 AM ----------

If anyone interested, discussion of new research in longevity in a new book by the author of this essay:

NEWS ANALYSIS
How Long Do You Want to Live?
By DAVID EWING DUNCAN
Published: August 25, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/sunday-review/how-long-do-you-want-to-live.html?_r=1

Bob Clark

 

[Ghostrider]

And Jumbo soon is 83 years old. He already has exceeded the average age at death. And he really is an epicurean

Bud Spencer doesn't count. He's from Naples. Napolitani are different from the average human.:lol:

 

[Scav]

Napolitani are different from the average human.:lol:

So are Sicilians.

 

[C3PO]

I wonder how long it will take people to realize that statistics can be a valuable tool in medical science, but it can't replace it.

 

[Ghostrider]

So are Sicilians.

Naturalmente. Of course, Naples natives have a natural immunity to iocane powder.:thumbup:

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I read that a fundamental problem with these studies is that not all the calories are the same. Different studies had different proportions of macronutrients (protein, fat & carbohydrates). Feed a monkey fruit all day, even restricting calories, and diabetes and other diseases crop up.

I would be curious about the outcome of a low carbohydrate CR diet relative to a 'standard' diet.