Cutting Calories Can Prolong Life

Health
Cutting Calories Can Prolong Life
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 19 (HealthDayNews) -- People who drastically limit their
calorie intake can reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease and stay
young longer, real-life research finds.

The study of obviously dedicated members of an organization called the
Caloric Restriction Optimal Nutrition Society found they scored
significantly better on such major risk factors as cholesterol, blood
pressure and insulin levels. A group led by Dr. John O. Holloszy, a
professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine,
report the finding in this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences.

"For the first time we've shown that calorie restriction is feasible and
has a tremendous effect on the risk for atherosclerosis [hardening of the
arteries] and diabetes," Holloszy said.

The readings of such factors as blood pressure and cholesterol for these
middle-aged Americans were typical of much younger people, he said.

The 18 organization members had been taking in about 1,100 and 1,950
calories a day for about six years, with bigger people logically eating
more. They were compared to a matched group of 18 people whose daily intake
was between 1,975 and 3,550 calories a day, more typical of Americans.

The calorie-restricted group had blood levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol in
the lowest 10 percent of people in their age group. The readings for "good"
HDL cholesterol, which carries fats out of the arteries, were in the
highest 15 percent of their age group. And their levels of triglycerides,
fats that contribute to atherosclerosis, were lower than in 95 percent of
Americans half their age.

Those readings, and the ones for other factors such as body mass index and
body fat, indicate that the low-calorie consumers "are aging less rapidly
than normal," Holloszy said.

The study also deals a blow to the current craze over low-carbohydrate
diets. The calorie-restricted group got 46 percent of their calories in the
form of carbohydrates, with 26 percent from protein and 28 percent from
fat. The comparison group got 50 percent of their calories from
carbohydrates, 18 percent from protein and 32 percent from fat.

But the low-calorie people got mostly complex carbohydrates, from such
foods as fruits and vegetables. The normal eaters were heavy on the simple
carbohydrates found in sugary foods.

This is not a diet for the masses, Holloszy acknowledged. The society from
which the participants were recruited has about 150 members, and possibly
half of them have the discipline to follow the low-calorie diet, he said.
Nevertheless, he said, there is a message for the average American eater.

"We are having an epidemic of obesity," Holloszy said. "Just reducing food
intake enough to bring the body mass index into the normal range, losing 20
pounds or so, would produce the same kind of changes in the risk factors
that would markedly reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
and stroke."

Another new study says people should pay more attention to the amount of
trans fatty acids they consume. Trans fatty acids, found in margarine,
snack foods and the like, are produced by adding hydrogen to ordinary fatty
acids.

A diet heavy in trans fatty acids caused development of the early stages of
cardiovascular disease in pigs, whose hearts closely resemble those of
humans, University of Missouri researchers reported. They presented their
finding on April 19 at the Experimental Biology 2004 meeting in Washington,
D.C.

"This is the first time we have studied the effects of trans fatty acids in
an animal model," said Dr. James R. Turk, an associate professor of
pathology at Missouri and a member of the research team. "What we see is
quick development of more severe cardiovascular disease."

The lesson for humans, Turk said, is "to avoid trans fatty acids if
possible to reduce the amount of cardiovascular disease."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year ordered manufacturers to
start listing trans fatty acid content on food labels, but the regulation
will not take effect until 2006.

More information

A guide to a heart-healthy diet is offered by the American Heart
Association. Meanwhile, go to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to
learn more about trans fatty acids.