In addition to genetic ties to lifespan, diet has been shown to substantially affect lifespan in many animals. Specifically, caloric restriction (that is, restricting calories to 30-50% less than an ad libitum animal would consume, while still maintaining proper nutrient intake), has been shown to increase lifespan in mice up to 50%. Caloric restriction works on many other species beyond mice (including species as diverse as yeast and Drosophila), and increases the lifespan in primates according to a study done on Rhesus monkeys at the National Institute of Health (US). Since, at the molecular level, age is counted not as time but as the number of cell doublings, this effect of calorie reduction could be mediated by the slowing of cellular growth and, therefore, the lengthening of the time between cell divisions.
CR is the only known dietary measure capable of extending maximum lifespan, as opposed to average lifespan. In Calorie Restriction, energy intake is minimized, but sufficient quantities of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients must be eaten.
unlike what most diets suggest, eating allot less is not good for you, what is good is eating foods which are very high in nutrients, but very low in calories, including (amongst others) kombu, brewers yeast, wheat bran, shiitake mushrooms, non-fat dry milk, soybeans and tofu, wheat germ,...
this can be compared to the diet of people living in Okinawa, which has the highest longevity rate, they eat very nutrient rich foods all the time, but are less strict about their calorie intake.
what do you think?
& you don't need to eat a ton of it.. they're like little bite-sized snacks. i take only a spoon of brewer's yeast a day w/ water or cider vinegar..
