https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-calorie-restriction-rewires-metabolism-immunity.html Calorie restriction improves metabolic and immune responses that help determine both how long a person lives and how many years of good health they enjoy, a new study shows. "Two years of modest calorie restriction reprogrammed the pathways in fat cells that help regulate the way mitochondria generate energy, the body's anti-inflammatory responses, and potentially longevity," said Eric Ravussin, Ph.D., Associate Executive Director for Clinical Science at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. "In other words, calorie restriction rewires many of the metabolic and immune responses that boost lifespan and health span." The new study used data gathered by Pennington Biomedical's CALERIE 2 (Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), the longest-running calorie restriction trial in humans. The new study is published in the journal Science. The study found that people who cut their calorie intake by about 14 percent over two years generated more T cells, which play a key role in immune function and slow the aging process. "As people age, their thymuses shrink and produce fewer T cells. As a result, older people have a harder time fighting off infections and certain cancers," said Eric Ravussin, Ph.D., Associate Executive Director for Clinical Science at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. "Calorie restriction helps prevent the thymus from shrinking so the person generates more T cells." In addition to improving immunity, an increase in T cells is associated with an improved ability to burn stores of fatty acids for energy, Dr. Ravussin said. That's important because if a person doesn't burn this fuel, the fat may build up in organs such as the muscle and liver, leading to insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes and aging. The study had another important finding: a potential treatment to reduce age-related inflammation and improve metabolic health. Studies have shown that restricting calories by 40 percent in rodents extended their lives. But there were tradeoffs in in growth, reproduction, and immunity. However, calorie restriction also reduces the levels of gene encoding platelet activating factor acetyl hydrolase (PLA2G7). Reducing PLA2G7 produces health benefits that include lowering age-related inflammation and improving metabolic health. "If researchers can find a way to harness PLA2G7, they could create a treatment to extend a person's health span, the time an individual experiences good health," said Pennington Biomedical Executive Director John Kirwan, Ph.D.
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abg7292 Searching for caloric restriction mimetics Moderately decreased food intake that does not cause malnutrition (caloric restriction) has beneficial effects on health span and life span in model organisms. Spadaro et al. examined measures of immune function in humans who restricted caloric intake by about 14% over 2 years and in mice under a more severe 40% restriction (see the Perspective by Rhoads and Anderson). Cellular analyses and transcriptional surveys showed marks of improved thymic function under caloric restriction. Expression of the gene encoding platelet activating factor acetylhydrolase (PLA2G7) was decreased in humans undergoing caloric restriction. Inactivation of the gene in mice decreased inflammation and improved markers of thymic function and some metabolic functions in aging mice. Thus, decreased expression of PLA2G7 might mediate some beneficial effects of caloric restriction. —LBR Abstract The extension of life span driven by 40% caloric restriction (CR) in rodents causes trade-offs in growth, reproduction, and immune defense that make it difficult to identify therapeutically relevant CR-mimetic targets. We report that about 14% CR for 2 years in healthy humans improved thymopoiesis and was correlated with mobilization of intrathymic ectopic lipid. CR-induced transcriptional reprogramming in adipose tissue implicated pathways regulating mitochondrial bioenergetics, anti-inflammatory responses, and longevity. Expression of the gene Pla2g7 encoding platelet activating factor acetyl hydrolase (PLA2G7) is inhibited in humans undergoing CR. Deletion of Pla2g7 in mice showed decreased thymic lipoatrophy, protection against age-related inflammation, lowered NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and improved metabolic health. Therefore, the reduction of PLA2G7 may mediate the immunometabolic effects of CR and could potentially be harnessed to lower inflammation and extend the health span.
Perhaps my question is naïve, but calorie restriction from what baseline? Maintenance? That would suggest ongoing weight loss, which can only be good to a point. Surplus? Well, that's a no-brainer.
Hara hachi bu (bun me) is a Japanese term meaning “Eat until you're 80% full.” It originated in the city of Okinawa, where people use this advice as a way to control their eating habits. Interestingly, they have one of the lowest rates of illness from heart disease, cancer and stroke, and a fairly long life expectancy. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dont-eat-until-youre-full-instead-mind-your-hara-hachi-bu-point/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hara_hachi_bun_me
I think that's good advice. The idea is to eat until you're not hungry anymore, not until you're either full or stuffed. While I try to follow this guideline, I occasionally overstep and then feel pissed off at myself for the rest of the evening (it usually only happens at supper).
My mom was very strict on it for herself having learned it from a French professor in art college. Eat until you feel full and top eating no matter what's still on your plate. "The tyranny of the waist" as the French women call it (I'm sure you will be familiar) combined with a developed health system. I was put on a low / no carbs Mediterranean diet and eventually learned to make sandwiches with lettuce leaves instead of bread. Great for inflammation. Never hungry, loads of meat and started to make my own sausages.
Hmm. I do love my carbs. But I only eat fiber-rich carbs. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and seeds. But I don't know about lettuce sandwiches. I eat lettuce and spinach almost every day, but lettuce leaf sandwiches?! And the "loads of meat" thing; that might be asking for trouble: https://www.elitetrader.com/et/thre...p-to-13-years-to-your-life-study-says.364841/ Also, I'm of the view that sausages are fat and sodium delivery systems.
My sausages are pork and herbs, just a smidge of salt. One of the most used things in my kitchen is my electric grinder. I guess when I say low carbs I mean no wheat and any sugar beyond what's in fruit. I was a big bread eater and also fizzy drinks. Lunch today is three types of leafy greens, a Thai chicken and plum crep which is made of almond flour (little sweet but works with chicken etc) and buffalo cheese, olives, cherry tomatoes etc. I'm full and plenty of energy for an afternoon in the forge.
I now count calories by the shape of the food. Two cheese sticks side by side would be 11 as an example. A donut of course is zero. What could possibly go wrong?