A brand new study on the benefits of calorie restriction in humans suggests that it contributes to better muscle health, by modifying the expression of genes linked to aging. A slight reduction in calories ingested every day would be enough to be beneficial.
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There are numerous studies on the benefits of reducing caloric intake in animals and humans. The results of a new search for National Institutes of Health highlight the mechanisms by which calorie restriction is beneficial for muscle health at the inflammatory level, and in particular for the elderly. “ Since theinflammationinflammation and aging are closely linked, calorie restriction represents a powerful approach to preventing the pro-inflammatory state that develops in many older adults “, said Luigi Ferrucci, co-author of the study published in Aging Cell.
For the CALERI study, 90 people consented to a thigh muscle biopsy, taken before the study and during follow-ups one and two years later. If the goal was to reduce daily calorie intake by 25%, participants in the group who had to eat less managed to achieve a 12% reduction.
Calorie restriction modulates the expression of certain genes
The researchers wanted to understand the molecular basis of the benefits observed in previous research on calorie restriction in humans. They performed a comprehensive RNA sequencing analysis on the sampled skeletal muscles to compare the expression of GenoaGenoa between witnesses and restricted participants in caloriescalories. In the latter, the genes responsible for the production ofenergyenergy and metabolismmetabolism were upregulated, whereas downregulated inflammatory genes reduced inflammation.
In conclusion, caloric restriction makes it possible to modulate the transcriptiontranscription genes linked to stress response and longevity in human muscle. The study suggests that even a small reduction in daily calories is beneficial for healthy aging.
Eating less could slow down our aging
Article from Stéphanie Le GuillouStéphanie Le Guilloupublished on March 10, 2023
What if reducing our calorie intake could allow us to live longer? First of its kind, a randomized trialrandomized trial carried out in humans evaluated the effects of calorie restriction on aging. What are the results ?
While the harmful effects of excess weight on our health are increasingly better known and the scientific literature abounds, very little data is available on the impact of “reasonable” calorie restriction in humans. Data in mice support an improvement in health status. For the first time, a randomized trial was conducted in healthy humans and the results were published in the prestigious journal Nature Aging.
A 25% calorie restriction for 2 years
The people included in the study were all adults and in good health. The participants were between 20 and 50 years old (38 years old on average). There was a majority of women (70%). Two groups were formed at random. Some of the participants (105 people) committed to reducing the quantity of calories ingested by 25% for 2 years. Another part (59 people) continued to eat as usual, without restrictions.
Epigenetics defines how genes will be used in each cell. Indeed, if all our cells contain the same genes, they are not expressed in the same way in a skin cell or in a cell. brainbrain. DNA methylation is one of the epigenetic mechanisms that allows the control of gene expression. This rate changes depending on the age and aging of the person. From blood samples taken at the start of the study, at 12 months then at 24 months, the authors measured the rate of methylationmethylation of the’DNADNA volunteers via 3 different methods, which allowed them to assess the biological age of people.
If the biological age of each participant increased between the start and the end of the study, it progressed more quickly in the group which continued to eat normally! However, the difference is small (2 to 3%) and could only be demonstrated with one of the 3 methods.
The participants’ calorie restriction turned out to be lower than the 25% initially expected. In fact, they have not always succeeded! On average, calorie restriction was around 12%. Interestingly, the effect on aging was dependent on the dose of calories ingested. Indeed, the more people managed to reduce their caloric intake, the greater the effect on aging.
Aging and lifespan
Further studies are now needed before conclusions can be drawn. In particular, longer trials durationduration. Improving the state of cellular aging undoubtedly means more “improvement of the person’s state of health” than “extending lifespan”, for example.
