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Can eating small amounts really help you live healthily and longer?
2025.01.06 14:40
Hunzai, a small village in northern Pakistan, is known as the world's longest-lived village. Located at an altitude of 2,500 meters, the residents of this village have an average lifespan of 120 years, appearing to be 30 years younger than their actual age. Okinawa in Japan, widely recognized as the world's leading longevity region, is also famous for its long-lived population. At one time, nearly 40% of Hunzai's population was over 100 years old, making it one of the top longevity areas. The commonality among residents of Hunzai in Pakistan and Okinawa in Japan, both renowned for their longevity, is 'eating less.' The residents here tend to eat very little and move around a lot. When this fact was reported in the media, the widespread belief emerged that eating less is essential for living healthily and long.
Does eating news really lead to a long life? Proven by monkey research
Scientists have been striving to uncover whether the belief that "eating less leads to a longer life" is truly factual, and if so, what mechanisms cause reduced food intake to promote longevity. In 2009, the University of Wisconsin in the United States announced the results of a long-term experiment involving over 80 red-haired monkeys, conducted over approximately 20 years, restricting calorie intake. The research team divided the monkey group into two: one received ample food, while the other was given about 30% less, creating a difference in calorie consumption. The results showed that although all monkeys reached old age beyond 27 years, the monkeys that ate 30% less had lush fur and appeared to have more elastic and shiny skin, whereas the well-fed monkeys shed more hair and had more wrinkles, making them look visibly older. There was also a difference in survival rates: out of 38 monkeys not subjected to food restriction, 14 died, whereas only 5 of the 38 monkeys with restricted diets died, indicating that the restricted group had a longer average lifespan. Furthermore, the monkeys in the restricted diet group exhibited fewer cases of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and brain atrophy. At least in monkeys, it has been revealed that eating less may significantly contribute to anti-aging and rejuvenation effects.
In fact, several cases where fasting has been beneficial for longevity, as well as experiments on various animals including monkeys, have clarified the correlation between fasting and longevity. Research efforts to uncover the underlying mechanisms have also been actively pursued. In 2012, a research team from Bar-Ilan University in Israel announced that reducing calorie intake and maintaining a fasting state activates the sirtuin gene, known as the "rejuvenation gene," which helps promote longevity.
The sirtuin gene was first discovered in yeast in 1999 by Professor Leonardo Gallante of the Department of Biology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is known to perform various anti-aging functions, such as suppressing reactive oxygen species that cause aging and cancer, activating immune antibodies that fight viral pathogens, and scanning and repairing genes in cells throughout the body. Subsequently, it was revealed that activating the sirtuin gene can extend the lifespan of fruit flies by 30% and that of nematodes by 50%. Mammals have seven sirtuin-related genes, and a deficiency in the sixth gene, 'Sirtuin 6,' results in symptoms similar to aging. The Val-Il-Dae research team successfully extended the lifespan of mice by approximately 15% through genetic manipulation of the sirtuin gene, demonstrating that the sirtuin gene is closely related to aging.
So, naturally, how can this gene be activated? The secret is to suppress calorie intake and maintain a fasting state. When you go without food for a long time and enter a state of starvation, the sirtuin gene is activated. The sirtuin gene commands an organ called autophagy, which removes waste products accumulated inside cells, to clean the inside of the cell. When food and nutrients become scarce, this activates repair functions at the cellular level to prevent damage.
First human-based study on the impact of news this year
This year, a research team from Yale University uncovered another clue about the relationship between eating less and longevity. Published in Science, this study recruited 238 non-obese adults aged 26 to 47 and asked them to reduce their calorie intake below recommended levels, then observed the effects of eating less on health over two years. They reduced their calorie intake by between 12% and 22% compared to their usual consumption, with an average reduction of about 14%. This corresponds to approximately 300 kcal for men. This study is the first to experimentally verify the long-held belief that eating less leads to a longer life by using humans as subjects.
This year, a research team from Yale University uncovered another clue about the relationship between eating less and longevity. Published in Science, this study recruited 238 non-obese adults aged 26 to 47 and asked them to reduce their calorie intake below recommended levels, then observed the effects of eating less on health over two years. They reduced their calorie intake by between 12% and 22% compared to their usual consumption, with an average reduction of about 14%. This corresponds to approximately 300 kcal for men. This study is the first to experimentally verify the long-held belief that eating less leads to a longer life by using humans as subjects.
The researchers focused on decades of research showing that reducing calories can strengthen the thymus and extend the lifespan of flies, insects, and mice. The thymus, located around the heart, is an organ that produces T cells, a type of white blood cell that fights disease, and it ages faster than other parts of the body. By the time individuals reach their 40s, more than half of the thymus is replaced by fat, impairing its primary function of producing T cells. As a result, when T cell levels in the body decrease, the lack of T cells to fight cancer cells increases the risk of cancer and makes the body more vulnerable to infections. The decline in thymus function is a main reason why aging individuals are more susceptible to illness.
The research team, who hoped that eating sprouts would slow down the aging process of the thymus and enhance resistance to disease, was able to confirm after two years that the thymus of people who ate sprouts had relatively less fat accumulation. The researchers measured the weight of the thymus, the weight of the surrounding fat, and the T-cell count, and found that the thymus produced more T-cells two years after the start of the experiment when it had consumed less food than at the beginning.
Unexpected discoveries also followed. The news changed the participants' adipose tissue. Adipose tissue contains various immune cells, including macrophages, along with fat. One year after the news, significant changes occurred in the gene of the PLA2G7 protein, which regulates platelet activity, within the adipose tissue's genes. This protein, known to be involved in metabolic and immune diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers, is produced by macrophages and causes inflammation related to aging. The research team found that reducing calorie intake lowered PLA2G7 protein levels, resulting in an anti-aging effect.
An interesting point is that reducing the amount of PLA2G7 protein using methods other than fasting produces the same effect. The researchers discovered that manipulating the PLA2G7 gene in mice causes the thymus to become younger and reduces aging-related inflammation. This suggests that by regulating PLA2G7 through drugs or other means, it may be possible to achieve longevity without fasting. Could this medicine become the elixir of immortality sought by Emperor Qin Shi Huang? Although it is still just a possibility and an imagination, it is undoubtedly a delightful thought to wait patiently while eating less.
Lee Hyung-seok Science Columnist
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You need to share the news, everyone!!!
Let's stay healthy and get well~!!
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