Eating less can lead to a longer life

Question

Weight loss and metabolic improvements do not explain the longevity benefits of severe dietary restrictions, research in mice shows.

Comments

This opinion is dangerous and misleading. The National Institute of Health says, "Eating less protein to the ratio of carbohydrates does increase longevity." this statement is saying eating less overall and cutting down on meals and other sources of nutrients leads to longer life, but not eating can cause a shorter lifespan our body still needs enough nutrients in order to survive and to keep healthy. This statement should have mentioned certain foods to cut out that can lead to healthier trends in the body.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5685139/

Answer 1

I believe the title is misleading, however not completely incorrect. Studies on mice have shown that restricting calories leads to being more lean, and in turn, living a longer life. The studies have not show conclusive effects on humans, however eating healthy, low calorie meals to stay lean is a great way to live a longer life. Simply eating less will not guarantee a longer life, as it could be either too little food for your body, or unhealthy.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-eating-less-may-help-extend-life-span-mice-fasting#Tips-for-improving-aging-and-longevity

Answer 2

The claim that eating less can lead to a longer life is technically true but is an overstatement. The study cited did find that mice that eat less lived longer lives, but other factors like immune health, genetics, and resilience played into this as well. This clarification is even stated within the article. So while the article does include accurate, cited information, it also uses a clickbaitey title that can be misleading.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-03277-6

Answer 3

I am supporting this claim, however I think it's important to note that there's more to it than just "eating less." You could eat less of a bad diet which wouldn't reflect the same results as a calorie deficit diet. This article from science.org, explores the effect of s stricter diet on certain DNA. Essentially with a diet in place a certain DNA fragment is suppressed and would normally increase with age and shorten one's life span. This claim is true but has more elements than just the surface level.

https://www.science.org/content/article/why-eating-less-means-living-longer

Answer 4

The claim is misleading. While the title states the eating less can lead to a longer life, the information within the articles does not focus on eating less food but more on eating a calorie deficit diet. The message conveyed from the writing part of the article tells us that there is a correlation between eating less calories and life longevity. The article however does not tell us that eating less food in general leads to a longer life.

Answer 5

This answer is false but it is necessary to know why the people need to eat properly and eat no more that is required for the good functioning of the human body. First, nutrition gives your body the necessary components to form new cells, eliminate waste and work wholly and in part on a daily basis. Also, healthy dieting now will reduce the chance of developing diseases in the future such as diabetes and cancer. However, you should note that you will be more alert and hence be full of energy most of the time.

https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/preteens/nutrition-healthy-weight/why-eat-healthy

Answer 6

The article linked to the claim is from Nature.com, a peer-reviewed research journal that requires a paid subscription. I do not have access to this site, but I have already found distrust in the article. First, the title of the article is “Eating less can lead to a longer life: massive study in mice shows why”. This stood out to me because I personally believe that studies using mice and other animals can only prove so much about human bodies as they are a totally different species. Disregarding my own opinion, this article is still not readily accessible. 

 

After googling “Does eating less lead to a longer life?”, I found an article from Science.org, a scientific journal published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In summary, the article discusses findings of a gene in yeast called SIR2, that is related to its lifespan. According to Leonard Guarente, a molecular biologist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “cutting yeast cells' glucose intake by as much as 75% increases their lifespan by 25%.” The article then states that although humans don’t have the same genes as yeast, they do have a similar gene that is believed to relate to aging: “If that gene proves important in aging, Guarente says, it may provide "one of the most promising avenues toward getting a drug that would affect the aging process." Although these scientists have made discoveries in how certain genes work, they have not yet proven that reducing your caloric intake will lead to a longer life. 

 

I also looked at an article from the National Library of Medicine called “Beneficial effects of intermittent fasting and caloric restriction on the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems”, written by Matt P. Mattson. This articles states that intermittent fasting (reduced meal frequency) and caloric restriction extend the lifespans of rodents and monkeys but does not include information regarding the effects on humans. It describes how these techniques strengthen the cardiovascular and brain functions in these animals as well as helping to prevent diseases and other factors that could decrease life span. 

 

Although this information seems to be accurate and supported by credible sources, these studies have been done on rodents and other animals, not humans. There is little information proving that eating less actually increases life spans, but more information showing that following healthy eating practices and techniques will prevent diseases and health problems, that would therefore indirectly lead to a longer life. 

 

This claim is also tricky due to its wording, as “eating less” is subjective to individuals and is not specific enough to provide a proper claim. 

 

https://www.science.org/content/article/why-eating-less-means-living-longer  

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15741046/