Calorie restriction restores immunity and increases life expectancy

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New research shows that calorie restriction improves metabolic and immune responses that help determine how long a person will live and how healthy they will be.

“Two years of moderate calorie restriction reprogrammed pathways in fat cells that help regulate how mitochondria produce energy, the body's anti-inflammatory responses, and possibly longevity,” says Dr. Eric Ravoussin, associate executive director of clinical sciences at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

In other words, caloric restriction rewires many metabolic and immune responses, which increase life expectancy and health. A new study found that people who cut their calorie intake by about 14 percent over two years produced more T cells, which play a key role in immune function and slow the aging process.

According to Dr. Ravoussin, in addition to improved immunity, increased T cells are associated with an improved ability to burn fatty acid stores for energy. This is important because if a person does not burn fatty acids, they accumulate in the organs, leading to insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes and aging.

The study also found that restricting calories by 40 percent in rodents, their lives are extended. Also, the level of the gene encoding platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PLA2G7) decreased. Lowering PLA2G7 confers health benefits, including reduced age-related inflammation and improved metabolic health. If scientists can find a way to use PLA2G7, they may be able to create a drug that extends healthy lifespans.