Caloric restriction "significantly" improves the health of thin adults

A study by Duke Health showed that eliminating about 300 calories from the daily diet had a significant protective effect on health. According to the researchers, this beneficial effect was found in adults with healthy weights or "few pounds" to lose, which led to improvements in health indicators such as blood pressure and blood glucose, which were already in the range of "good".

Duke Health revealed the results of a recent trial conducted as part of the CALERIE project of the National Institute of Health, focused on the idea that calorie restriction, not just weight loss. , triggers the positive health changes badociated with dieting. Duke Health's trial included 218 adults under 50 years of age.

During the first month of this trial, participants ate three daily meals, which reduced their daily caloric intake by a quarter, which was intended to help them become familiar with the new diet. Over the next two years, participants were instructed to eat with a daily reduction of 25% in calories, although at the end they had an average of only 12% reduction over this period.

Although the goal of 25% was not achieved, the researchers reported that participants were collectively able to maintain a 10% weight loss, the majority of which was due to fat loss. In addition, participants were found to improve a number of health markers badociated with the risk of metabolic disease, including blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

In addition, at the end of the study, participants had lower levels of biomarkers indicating the presence of chronic inflammation. As several previous studies have revealed, chronic inflammation is a risk factor for serious long-term health problems, including the development of cancer, memory problems and cardiovascular disease.

Despite the positive results, the researchers point out that removing 300 calories from the daily diet is not a heavy burden: it's less than an average number of fries, for example.

The lead author of the study, Duke Medical Professor and cardiologist William E. Kraus, explained:

There is something about caloric restriction, a mechanism that we do not yet understand that leads to these improvements. We have collected blood, muscle and other samples from these participants and will continue to explore what this metabolic signal or magical molecule might be.