Low-calorie diet and life expectancy: an evolutionary hypothesis

It has long been known that limiting the amount of food consumed reduces the likelihood of developing age-related diseases, such as cancer, and increases life expectancy.

This effect has been demonstrated by many research groups on various model organisms, including yeast, fruit flies and mice. There is also evidence in favor of the positive effect of a low-calorie diet on primates.

According to the generally accepted explanation of this phenomenon, it ensures the survival of species during periods of famine. However, Australian researchers from the University of New South Wales Dr. Margo Adler and Associate Professor Russell Bonduriansky disagree with this statement. They believe that an increase in life expectancy against the background of a low-calorie diet is a laboratory artifact.

A low-calorie diet impairs the ability of the immune system to fight infectious agents, and also reduces the muscle strength necessary for survival. Therefore, in natural conditions, limiting the nutritional value of the diet cannot lead to an increase in life expectancy.

Unlike favorable laboratory conditions, in the wild, most animals die at a young age from predators or diseases. In laboratory conditions, a low-calorie diet increases life expectancy by reducing the likelihood of developing age-related diseases. Therefore, it is unlikely that it has a similar effect in the wild, where animals, as a rule, do not live to the age at which they develop cancer or other age-related pathologies.

However, it is also known that a low-calorie diet increases the efficiency of recycling "cellular garbage", as well as the mechanisms for repairing damage to the body.

The authors propose a new theory according to which this effect is the result of evolutionary development, as it helps animals to reproduce in conditions of insufficient food. In such conditions, the body's need for food is reduced due to the processing and reuse of previously stored nutrients.

The described effect could cause an increase in the life expectancy of laboratory animals kept on a low-calorie diet due to the fact that the intensification of the processing of cellular debris reduces the rate of cell wear and the risk of cancer.

From the point of view of human health, this aspect is the most intriguing. Despite the fact that an increase in life expectancy may be just a side effect of a low-calorie diet, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of cellular waste recycling can help in the development of methods to increase life expectancy and improve human health. It is quite possible that over time scientists will be able to develop pharmaceuticals that have the effects of a low-calorie diet.

Article Margo I. Adler, Russell Bonduriansky Why do the well-fed appear to die young? published in the journal BioEssays.

Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on Wiley materials:
Eat More, Die Young: Why Eating a Diet Very Low In Nutrients Can Extend Lifespan.

18.03.2014