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 (QMI Agency files) |
You need to eat to live. That’s a given.
But a number of recent studies have indicated that, if you want to live longer and remain in good health, eating in moderation is the way to go.
CALORIE RESTRICTION
For nearly a century, studies conducted on animals have shown us that those that eat fewer calories (without missing out on essential nutrients) live a much longer life than those who eat more.
In mice, for example, a 30% reduction in calories consumed translates into a 40 % increase in life span. This result is caused by a significant reduction in cardiovascular diseases, cancers and neuro-degenerative issues. Similar effects were observed in a variety of species frequently used in research, particularly yeast, fruit flies and some worms.
Until recently, however, the impact of calorie restriction on more complex animals, like humans, has not been well understood.
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MONKEY BUSINESS
A breakthrough on the issue was made last year with the publication of the first study on the impact of calorie reduction on the health and life expectancy of Rhesus monkeys. Like all primates, these monkeys have many similarities to humans and are therefore the best animal subject to determine to what extent calorie reduction can influence the human life expectancy.
Researchers selected 76 monkeys aged between 7 and 14 years (which corresponds to adult age in humans) and divided them into two groups: one received standard food and the other received food with a 30% reduction calories.
Because these primates live, on average, 27 years when in captivity, the research project was a long-term one that began to provide first results 20 years after the study had begun.
It was worth the wait though, as the results are spectacular: the primates on the restricted calorie diet showed more vivaciousness, more elastic skin and an excellent blood count for lipids and sugars compared to the monkeys that ate larger amounts of food. Even more interesting was that the monkeys on the smaller diet were afflicted by cancer, cardiovascular disease and atrophy of the brain’s gray matter much later in life, all translating into an increased life span.
Though the study is ongoing, 50 % of the monkeys on the regular diet were still alive at the time the study was published, while 80 % of those on the low cal diet were still living.
REPROGRAMMING THE METABOLISM
The impressive improvement in quality of life and life expectancy related to a reduced consumption of calories is due to major changes to the metabolism. For one, eating less allows the mitochondria to use less oxygen and/or causes a reaction that reduces the production of free radicals, which are oxygen offshoots that are very toxic to cells.
Secondly, calorie restriction causes a significant reprogramming of the cells’ metabolism, notably the activation of some defense mechanisms involved in the body’s response to stress. The activation of these mechanisms, notably a class of proteins called sirtuins, provokes a series of positive effects that collectively reduce cell aging and therefore allow the organs to function at an optimal level for a longer period of time.
Eating less to live longer in better health; who would have thought that the fountain of youth, something that has been extensively researched, could be so simple?
ANTICANCER RECIPE
Mushrooms stuffed with feta and spinach
6 large mushrooms
1 Tbsp. (15 ml) olive oil
1/4 cup (50 ml) onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2/3 cup (150 ml) feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup (125 ml) sunflower seeds, chopped
1/4 cup (50 ml) red wine
1/3 cup (75 ml) spinach, chopped
4 slices stale whole wheat bread, crusts removed and cut into cubes
Pinch of fresh thyme
3 Tbsp. (45 ml) walnuts, chopped
Salt and ground pepper
Separate mushroom stems from tops, chop the stems and reserve tops.
Heat the olive oil in a pot. Cook onions, garlic and sunflower seeds over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add the mushroom stems and cook 1 minute. Pour in wine and let reduce until liquid has almost completely evaporated.
Add spinach and cook 1 more minute. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Add feta and nuts and reserve.
Using a food processor, combine bread cubes and thyme. Arrange mushroom tops on an oiled or buttered pan. Stuff the mushroom tops and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cook at 350F (180C) for 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and bread crumbs are browned. Serve immediately.
Source: Marlene Gagnon, teacher, Ecole Hoteliere de la Capitale in Quebec City