KEY POINTS
- Health experts have revealed that one of the possible keys to living a longer life has something to do with calorie intake
- The lesser calories you eat, the healthier the body becomes
- This can help reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system
Improving the quality of life has always been the subject of much interest. A lot of older adults find themselves at the mercy of various ailments because of poor lifestyle choices and unhealthy diets during their younger years. While this situation may seem hopeless for some, a new study has revealed that older adults can still improve their longevity. The key is the quantity of food being consumed.
Lesser Food Intake
According to this new study, consuming less food daily could hold the key to enjoying a longer life. Limiting your calorie intake could improve your immune system, and at the same time, it also reduces inflammation levels throughout your body. A reduction in your intake of calories could also delay the development of age-linked diseases, thus helping you live longer. 
A Study on Food Consumption
Scientists from China and the United States underscored the benefits of consuming less food. According to them, they already know that limiting your calorie intake can increase your life span. Today, findings from their new study show that all the changes occurring at a single-cell level causes such to happen.
With their findings, it has given the scientists goals that they hope could eventually be acted on with drugs to treat aging. Aging is the biggest risk factor for many diseases that beset humans. These include dementia, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
According to scientists, calorie reduction has been proven to be one of the best interventions to combat age-related diseases. The findings of this new study were published in the scientific journal Cell. It revealed how lab mice that consumed 30% fewer calories had their health improve compared to mice feeding on normal diets.
The test animals’ diets were controlled when the mice were still 18 months old, and this went on until they are 27 months old. The animals’ age was equivalent to the human age of between 50 and 70 years old. Scientists then compared old and young rats on each diet and discovered much of the changes occurring in mice on normal diets did not happen to mice on restricted diets.
The researchers also found that even in their old age, most of the cells and tissues of mice on a reduced diet closely resembled those found on young mice. This study is the most detailed and comprehensive research to date of the cellular effects of calorie-restricted diet in laboratory mice.
Recommended Calorie Consumption
According to the National Health Service, an ideal regular intake of calories vary and would often depend on metabolism, age, and levels of physical activities. In general, however, the recommended daily intake is 2,500 calories for men and 2,000 for women.