Nutrition modulation of human aging: the calorie restriction paradigm

Authors: DAS, SAI KRUPA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; BALASUBRAMANIAN, PRIYA - University Of Wisconsin; WEERASEKERA, YASOMA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/9/2017
Publication Date: 4/12/2017
Citation: Das, S., Balasubramanian, P., Weerasekera, Y.K. 2017. Nutrition modulation of human aging: the calorie restriction paradigm. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 455:148-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2017.04.011.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mce.2017.04.011

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Globally, the aging population is growing rapidly, creating an urgent need to attenuate age-related health conditions, including metabolic disease and disability. A promising strategy for healthy aging based on consistently positive results from studies with a variety of species, including non-human primates (NHP), is calorie restriction (CR), or the restriction of energy intake while maintaining intake of essential nutrients. The burgeoning evidence for this approach in humans is reviewed and the major study to date to address this question, CALERIE (Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy), is described. CALERIE findings indicate the feasibility of CR in non-obese humans, confirm observations in NHP, and are consistent with improvements in disease risk reduction and potential antiaging effects. Finally, the mechanisms of CR in humans are reviewed which sums up the fact that evolutionarily conserved mechanisms mediate the anti-aging effects of CR. Overall, the prospect for further research in both NHP and humans is highly encouraging.