Back on October 2, 2005, I wrote “To Live Forever - Or at Least as Long as Possible.” In that article I made one particular point:
The single most significant discovery thus far is caloric intake's effect on aging. In test animals, with all other things being equal, the animal with the lowest caloric intake consistent with otherwise healthy living, lives longer by a significant factor – 20% or more. Translated into human terms, this has the potential for extending the maximum lifespan from 120 to 144 years, and the average from 75 to 90 years.
I went on to write that
The key seems to be restricting calories, not restricting fat, protein, or carbohydrates specifically. Weight still needs to be controlled by keeping carbohydrates within certain limits, complete protein is needed for muscle building and cell replacement, and certain fats are needed to maintain the health of various body systems. But with these elements properly balanced, then the total amount of calories needs to be kept as low as possible consistent with weight maintenance.
That was eighteen months ago. The data was from test animals, and my application of this information to humans was conjecture – reasonable, but still conjecture. On April 5, 2006, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reported the effects of caloric restriction over a six-month period in a group of overweight human adults. The subjects were divided into a moderate caloric-restriction group, a very low-calorie group, and a control group with no caloric restrictions. The results were astonishing.
The moderate caloric-restriction group experienced a 25% reduction in body fat, and the very low-calorie group experienced a 32% reduction in body fat, when compared to the non-restricted group.
By themselves, these results are worth celebrating, since other sources have recently reported that two out of three Americans are overweight. Another result, however, goes directly to the bottom line of human existence – longevity. In both reduced calorie groups, fasting insulin levels plummeted. This is important, because excess insulin devastates nearly every cell and organ system in the body.
According to the Life Extension Foundation, excess serum insulin promotes high blood pressure and can severely compromise the vascular system. Excess insulin also increases the risk for and progression of certain cancers. It may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, and even contributes to prostate enlargement. Insulin resistance is associated with abdominal obesity, atherosclerosis, and impotence. Furthermore, insulin resistance and obesity are risk factors for type II diabetes.
The simplest way to evaluate the effect of excess insulin is to examine how it effects human mortality. One ten-year study showed that the risk of dying was almost twice as great for those with the highest insulin levels than for those with the lowest levels. The authors state that decreasing excess insulin by enhancing insulin sensitivity and improving the function of the cells that produce insulin in the body is a crucial component in the quest for longevity.
The JAMA study also examined several known markers of aging in their subjects. They found that, while fasting insulin levels decreased significantly, DHEA-S and glucose remained steady, whereas in normal aging fasting insulin goes up, and DHEA-S and glucose go either up or down, depending on the underlying cause, wherein both conditions are bad and lead to premature aging.
The calorie restricted group lost 10% body weight and about 25% body fat, and the very low-calorie group lost nearly 14% body weight and 32% body fat. Furthermore, core temperatures dropped and absolute 24-hour energy expenditure dropped, leading the researchers to conclude that the subject’s metabolic baseline rate had been reduced. This means that their bodies had shifted into a lower gear, so that all their cells were actually running slower – that is aging slower. Furthermore, follow-on tests revealed that DNA damage decreased from baseline levels, and this decrease plays a significant role in increasing longevity. DNA damage leads to cell damage and eventual cell death, resulting in accelerated aging. Lower DNA damage extends cell life, resulting in slower overall aging and longer life.
Simply stated, the best way to live longer – much longer – is to eat less and lose weight.
While this is easy to say, in reality it is very difficult to accomplish. When we diet – when we restrict our calorie intake – all of us get hungry. And few of us have the sustained willpower to stick with it, especially if the plan is to restrict calories continuously going forward. Inevitably, this means we fall off the wagon.
If you are serious about living significantly longer, you really have no option. Reduce calories or die sooner – it’s that simple.
Fortunately, in late March, 2006, at a meeting of the American Chemical Society (AGFD 117), an honest-to-gosh, real-life, easy-to-implement solution popped seemingly out of nowhere. A group of scientists described the results of a double-blind, placebo controlled trial to test how pinolenic acid affected feelings of satiety and hunger.
Pinolenic acid is derived from the Korean pine nut, and is taken without prescription as a supplement, like a vitamin tablet.
The researchers found that test subjects who ingested pinolenic acid every day increased their production of two hormones that are critical in creating the feeling of satiety and removing the feeling of hunger. Cholecystokinin (CCK) increased by 60%, and Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) increased by 25%. In the real world of you and me trying to live longer, this translated into a 29% lower desire to eat, and a 36% lower prospective food intake.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put these elements together. If you want to live forever – or at least as long as possible: (1) Eat less and lose weight, and you will live longer; and (2) Take a daily pinolenic acid supplement in order to eat less.