One of the reasons I am somewhat obsessed with resveratrol (see litany of resveratrol related posts HERE) is the fact that it is a caloric restriction mimetic (*). What is the significance of caloric restriction beyond dieting?... a longer lifespan! Caloric restriction has been shown to extend lifespan in organisms ranging from yeast to mice to monkeys. In a recent review published in Science, researchers look at this phenomenon from a molecular perspective. Click HERE for more.
While I am all about living a longer healthier life, I am not sure that I would be willing to permanently reduce my caloric intake by 30%(the level used in mammalian studies). Would you permanently cut calories if it meant you could live longer?
* though a recent publication in Nature has suggested it is acting independently of sirtuins (the genes normally activated by caloric restriction)
