A recent study, which appears in the March edition of Cell Metabolism, reveals that limiting your calorie intake by 15% could reverse the downsides of ageing, such as reducing the likelihood of obtaining neurological diseases, cancer, and diabetes.
The research declares that cutting back on calories lowers your chances of experiencing oxidative stress, which often goes hand-in-hand with diseases that come with old age.
When your body undergoes calorie restrictions, your metabolism slows, which leads to less oxidative stress. The powerful combination of a slower metabolism and less oxidative stress reduces your odds of experiencing cell and organ damage as you grow older.
Leanne M. Redman, the associate professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University, confirms the benefits of reducing the amount of food piling on your plate per day, “Restricting calories can slow your basal metabolism, and if by-products of metabolism accelerate aging processes, calorie restriction sustained over several years may help to decrease risk for chronic disease and prolong life.”
The two-year study, although short, provides concrete evidence on why it is vital to consider keeping your calorie intake under control. The first part of the testing was carried out by CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), which analysed how reducing calories affected the metabolism in non-obese men and women.
The second phase looked at 53 men and women between the ages of 21-50 in the non-obese category. Over two years, they reduced their calorie intake by 15%, which led to excellent results. Over the duration of the study, each participant experienced additional measurements and calculations, for example, the scientists used isotopes to measure the participants’ metabolic process.
On average, each participant lost about 9kg, and the study was not even meant for weight loss purposes - they could eat whatever they wanted! There are countless ways to cut your calories, some suggestions are to limit the amount of sauce you use - a tablespoon of mayonnaise is 57 calories.
It is also typical for the general population to drink their calories - a 330 ml can of Coke contains 139 calories. If you are a major coffee or tea drinker, it is important to note that one teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories, which doesn’t seem like much until you’ve drunk 5 cups in a day! There are numerous ways to cut calories without changing your diet too much.
Too good to be true? Regardless, being more mindful of your calorie intake may be a good idea, as recent statistics show that obesity has tripled in the last 30 years. Currently, in the UK, 24% of men are obese and 26% of women are obese, both genders are rated as the second highest percentage in the world. As obesity continues to rise, it is vital to consider cutting back on calories - even something as simple as no sugar in your coffee is a great start!
Check out our low-calorie clean & healthy snacks here.