If you are one of those health nuts who has been counting and cutting calories under the preconceived notion that living on a Third World country starvation diet is the key to achieving longer life – man, do we have some news for you.

 

A recent food restriction study, which researchers says took over two decades to complete, is said to supersede previous scientific discoveries that have shown eating fewer calories often translates into living a longer life.

While the previous research appears to be fairly accurate in regards to smaller animals with shorter life spans like mice and rats, the latest study, using rhesus monkeys as subjects, found monkeys that received “low calorie” diets did not live any longer under those dietary restrictions than monkeys that were fed normal diets.

Researchers found that out of a 120 male and female monkeys of various ages those who started a calorie-restricted diet later in life weighted less and had lower levels of fatty acids and cholesterol than those monkeys being fed a normal diet. However, the seemingly “healthier” monkeys did not live any longer, and there were not any substantial variances in cause of death.

Interestingly, researchers found that monkeys who began a calorie-restricted diet at a younger age did not have lower levels of fatty acids and cholesterol, but they had improved cancer rates, although rates for diabetes and cardiovascular disease were not any smaller in the low calorie group than the group being fed normally.

According to researchers, nearly half of the younger monkeys that participated in the study are still alive, and with consideration to the last 23 years of compiled data, there is less than a 0.1 percent chance that them being on a low-calorie diet will prolong their lifespan.

These results conflict with an ongoing study in Wisconsin that claims monkeys on calorie-restricted diets are living longer than their counterparts.

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