Surprising discovery: How much to eat to increase longevity the most?

An important study just published in the scientific journal Nature, has found that eating fewer calories significantly increases longevity, but how much less specifically, let's see what the study says!

Breakthrough research on longevity

For nearly a century, laboratory studies have consistently shown that animals that eat less food or eat less frequently live longer. However, scientists still do not know why restricted eating prolongs life and how to apply it effectively to humans.

Now, researchers at the US-based Jackson Laboratory (JAX) have monitored the health of mice fed different diets to further explore these questions.

A diet of only 60% of basic calories helps increase longevity the most. (Photo: Pexels).

The study was carefully designed to ensure that each mouse had its own genetic makeup, better reflecting the genetic diversity of humans. This increases the relevance of the results, marking it as one of the most important contributions to aging and longevity research to date, according to science site Scitech Daily.

How much to eat to increase longevity the most?

The study was conducted on 1,000 mice, divided into 5 groups depending on their diet, as follows:

1. All you can eat.
2. Eat only 60% of your daily calorie intake.
3. Eat only 80% of your daily calories.
4. Fast one day a week but eat as much as you want on the other days.
5. Fast 2 days in a row each week but eat as much as you want on the other days.

The mice were then monitored for the rest of their lives with periodic blood tests and comprehensive assessments of their overall health.

Results found:

1. Ad libitum mice live an average of 25 months.
2. Mice fasting 1-2 days per week live an average of 28 months.
3. Those fed 80% of their basal calories lived an average of 30 months.
4. Those fed 60 percent of their basal calories lived an average of 34 months, according to Scitech Daily.

The results also showed that eating fewer calories but maintaining weight lived the longest. (Photo: Pexels).

But within each group, the range of lifespans was huge. For example, the mice on the lowest calorie diet lived from a few months to 4.5 years.

From these results, it can be seen that a diet of only 60% of basic calories helps increase longevity the most.

However, when the authors looked at why there was such a wide range of lifespans, they found that genetic factors had a much larger impact on lifespan than diet, suggesting that genetic traits play a major role in how diet affects health and longevity.

What's also noteworthy is that the results also showed that the mice that maintained their weight and didn't lose body fat lived the longest.

The researchers concluded that a low-calorie diet extended the lifespan of mice. Surprisingly, the mice that lived the longest on a low-calorie diet lost the least weight despite eating less. Conversely, those that lost the most weight on a low-calorie diet tended to have low energy, weakened immune systems, impaired reproduction, and shorter lifespans.

The study's lead author, Professor Gary Churchill, from JAX, said: "This study shows the importance of resilience. The fittest animals that maintain their weight even when calorie restricted are the ones that live the longest. The study also shows that moderate calorie restriction can be a way to balance health and extend life, according to Scitech Daily.