Dr. Fontana's Latest Paper

[Drew_ab]

A lengthy, but very good read. This should be of interest for many people around here. A great exploration of dietary interventions and their effects on median and maximal life span.

http://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092 ... %2900186-5

[geo]

Excellent! Thanks! One of the handful of people worth listening too on longevity, CRON, IF, etc...

[healthyvegan]

Lowered intake of particular nutrients rather than of overall calories is also key, with protein and specific amino acids playing prominent roles.

one more zing at the nutrient density monger...

How many nutrients does a human need? answer = enough. Not more, not less, but enough. Now we have more evidence showing that MORE = BAD

[jay kaye]

Lowered intake of particular nutrients rather than of overall calories is also key, with protein and specific amino acids playing prominent roles.

one more zing at the nutrient density monger...

How many nutrients does a human need? answer = enough. Not more, not less, but enough. Now we have more evidence showing that MORE = BAD

I believe the study is referring to Macro and not Micro nutrients. So this study would not be a "zing" to him.

Macronutrients

Until recently, reduced intake of calories, rather than of specific macronutrients, was considered important for health benefits of DR. This assumption was primarily based on a flawed interpretation of experimental data showing that 40% calorie restriction, but not 40% protein restriction, increased lifespan in rats (Maeda et al., 1985). However, the protein-restricted rats were not food restricted, because their growth rate was normal, a point overlooked by the authors of the study. A subsequent series of studies in yeast, invertebrate model organisms and rodents has instead clearly demonstrated that a reduction in specific nutrients [protein amino acids] in the diet, rather than reduced calorie intake, is primarily responsible for improvements in health and extended lifespan, which is why we use the term DR rather than CR......

Dietary protein intake is an important regulator of the IGF-1/mTOR network (Efeyan et al., 2012). In humans, unlike rodents, chronic severe calorie restriction does not reduce serum IGF-1 concentration unless protein intake is also reduced (Fontana et al., 2008), suggesting that dietary protein or specific amino acid intake may be as or more important than calorie intake in modulating IGF-related biological processes and disease risk in men and women.

Or putting it another way; "It's the beef"

j

[eXtremE]

I have always believed and still do that CR is the one thing that offers you the longest lifespan if that is what you seek. None of the longest lived ppl ever were vegans but none of them were fat either or over ate. That is why I am back to water fasting one day a week now. Some WFPB vegans IMO still eat too much even if what they are eating is considered healthy., but again JMHO!

[Acura]

DR in both rats and mice improves most aspects of health during aging (Fontana et al., 2010a, Ikeno et al., 2006, Maeda et al., 1985). Exceptions include resistance to infection and wound healing. However, these conditions rapidly improve with re-feeding, and DR animals can then outperform controls

Does this mean if you are on a low calorie density diet (DR), infection and wound healing would prolong?

How much protein did the researchers reduce in order to see the aging related benefits?

[dailycarbs]

I have always believed and still do that CR is the one thing that offers you the longest lifespan if that is what you seek. None of the longest lived ppl ever were vegans but none of them were fat either or over ate. That is why I am back to water fasting one day a week now. Some WFPB vegans IMO still eat too much even if what they are eating is considered healthy., but again JMHO!

I agree. CR (or CRON - Calorie Restriction with Optimal Nutrition) is misunderstood by most people who think of it as some sort of eating disorder or just batty. It's been around a very long a time and more and more evidence of its benefits mount up all the time. It's also perfectly in line with our woe (although it's not necessarily plant based, nothing says you can't be a McDougaller and also be cr). In a way, anyone who doesn't eat as much as they want is practicing some amount of CR whether they realize it or not. The okinawans are a whole culture of calorie restricted people (hara hachi bu).

[roundcoconut]

Yep, I too believe there is something to the CR thing. My personal experience is this:

1.There's incredible room for breathing, when there is a minimum of fat storage in the torso. Really, I feel I breathe amazingly when I am at a slightly lower weight compared to a slightly higher one.
2. I need less sleep when eating fewer meals or lower volume each day. I am so alert, so energized -- I don't know the specifics or the mechanics of it, but it is my experience.
3. There seems to be something spiritually zenny about not being overfed -- I think there is something to the folk wisdom contained in language, where we say excess food makes us feel heavy (i.e. heavy in spirit, heavy hearts) while having just the right amount feels "light" and unencumbered.

I say this only as information, because I don't think any of this CR business should serve as another weapon with which to judge people's bodies or treatment of their bodies. I do welcome good information on CR and IF though, because some may be able to use it in a positive way!

[baardmk]

Thanks for letting us know Drew :)

By all means, CR and some fasting are not bad ideas. BUT. It's not all about CR. That's why Fontana used the term DR, an acronym for dietary restriction, which can encompass many things. He seems to think that protein and certain amino acids probably are important factors. From the article:

A subsequent series of studies in yeast, invertebrate model organisms and rodents has instead clearly demonstrated that a reduction in specific nutrients in the diet, rather than reduced calorie intake, is primarily responsible for improvements in health and extended lifespan, which is why we use the term DR rather than CR. [...] However, accumulating evidence points instead to a restriction of protein or specific amino acids in the diet as promoting healthspan (Grandison et al., 2009; Solon-Biet et al., 2014; Ables et al., 2014; Nakagawa et al., 2012; Pamplona and Barja, 2006; Mirzaei et al.,2014).

Mice/rats on various calorie intakes, and also on fattening diets, had similar longevity, the main deleterious factor in longevity in some studies it seems were certain amino acids and protein amount.

[Acura]

He seems to think that protein and certain amino acids probably are important factors

Wonder if they did a study with plant protein and animal protein. Even on the plant protein, you can consume lot more protein than you need.

One protein requirement I read is like this.

Multiply your weight in lbs X 2.2 to get your weight in Kg times 0.8 is how much protein in grams.

[JeffN]

Wonder if they did a study with plant protein and animal protein. Even on the plant protein, you can consume lot more protein than you need.

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=40765

In Health
Jeff

[Jumpstart]

It would seem that whether CR or DR or even a combination of both have longevity benefits, but at what price? If we take the long lived Okinawans as an example there isn't one man over five feet tall and the women are shorter by another four inches. The same goes for the Tarahumara Indians when it comes to height, few are much over five foot. We see the same thing in the Blue Zone Central Americans. These folks are all tiny by American standards. It would seem the Adventist have it right. Getting enough calories and getting enough protein from those calories leads to a longer and better disease free life, especially for women and bone health.

[dailycarbs]

It would seem that whether CR or DR or even a combination of both have longevity benefits, but at what price? If we take the long lived Okinawans as an example there isn't one man over five feet tall and the women are shorter by another four inches. The same goes for the Tarahumara Indians when it comes to height, few are much over five foot. We see the same thing in the Blue Zone Central Americans. These folks are all tiny by American standards. It would seem the Adventist have it right. Getting enough calories and getting enough protein from those calories leads to a longer and better disease free life, especially for women and bone health.

What's wrong with a population of small people? Less food consumed, less space consumed, more leg room on airplanes (or smaller jets, carry less weight, consume less fuel)? We have technology and machines for physically demanding work. When I see sedentary office workers eating high protein foods, bulking up, and doing crossfit, I'm tempted to ask them how many hours a day must they be harnessed to the plow to justify adding such bulk to their bodies. Seems to me, the problem is one of perception.

More brain power, less body mass, for a better future.

[Jumpstart]

Well, I suppose if you like looking up to the women you date and marry there is nothing wrong with a man being under five foot. I'm not so sure in this country if any woman would look at him as a potential date, let alone a mate.

[dailycarbs]

Well, I suppose if you like looking up to the women you date and marry there is nothing wrong with a man being under five foot. I'm not so sure in this country if any woman would look at him as a potential date, let alone a mate.

Well, if you're going to go that route, men are reducing their pool of potential mates by eating "sissy" plant foods, so why not eat steak and eggs for breakfast and wash it down with a milk shake? The women will come flocking, I'm sure.

Edit: get small or get extinct.
http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/ ... ls-smaller