It has been known for decades that laboratory animals live longer when their daily caloric intake, not their nutrients, is reduced. To find out if this principle applies to humans, a randomized study was initiated to search for answers.

As reported in Lancet Diabetes Endocrinology, 218 people from 21-50 years of age were either told to eat their usual diets, or to cut their calories by 25%. All subjects in the study were overweight to some degree.

Evaluated after two years, the reduced calorie group had shaved their intake of calories by 12%, or 300 calories a day. This change alone resulted in an average loss of 16 pounds, reductions in LDL [“bad”] cholesterol and triglyceride levels, improved blood pressure readings, and the reduction of CRP [C-reactive protein/inflammation]. Moreover, just by eliminating 300 calories per day, the subjects produced an increase in insulin sensitivity with improved glucose readings, and an elevation in their HDL [“good”] cholesterol levels.

Modest reductions in caloric intake can have a big impact on health, quality of life, and self esteem. This study validates my own theory that deprivation dieting is unnecessary to achieve significant, positive results.

Dateline: Latham, Albany County, New York