The idea that organisms can live longer, healthier lives by sharply reducing their calorie intake is not exactly new. Laboratory research has repeatedly demonstrated the anti-aging value of calorie restriction, often called CR, in animals from nematodes to ratswith the implication that the same might be true for humans.

In practice though, permanently reducing calorie intake by 25 to 50 percent or more sounds to many like a way to extend life by making it not worth living. Researchers have also warned that what works for nematodes or rats may not workand could even prove dangerousin humans, by causing muscle or bone density loss, for example.

But now two new studies appear to move calorie restriction from the realm of wishful thinking to the brink of practical, and perhaps even tolerable, reality. Writing in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of WisconsinMadison and the National Institute on Aging reported last month chronic calorie restriction produces significant health benefits in rhesus monkeysa primate with humanlike aging patternsindicating that CR mechanisms are likely translatable to human health. The researchers describe one monkey they started on a 30 percent calorie restriction diet when he was 16 years old, late middle age for this type of animal. He is now 43, a longevity record for the species, according to the study, and the equivalent of a human living to 130.

In the second study, published this week in Science Translational Medicine, a research team led by gerontologist Valter Longo at the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) suggests it is possible to gain anti-aging benefits without signing up for a lifetime of hunger. Instead, a fasting-mimicking diet, practiced just five days a month for three monthsand repeated at intervals as neededis safe, feasible and effective in reducing risk factors for aging and age-related diseases.

Some researchers, however, still find the calorie-restriction argument unpersuasive. Leslie Robert, a biochemist and physician at the University of Paris who was not involved in the two new studies, says pharmaceutical approaches offer greater anti-aging potential than inefficient and apparently harmful diets. The important thing, adds Luigi Fontana, a longevity researcher at the Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis who also was not involved in the new work, is if youre doing a healthy diet, exercising, everything good, without doing anything extreme, without making life miserable by counting every single calorie.

Rozalyn Anderson, a researcher in the Wisconsin study, does not necessarily disagree. Life is difficult enough without engaging in some bonkers diet, she says. We really study this as a paradigm to understand aging. Were not recommending people do it. The combined results in the Nature Communications paper show aging is malleable in primates, she explains, and that aging itself presents a reasonable target for intervention. Whereas conventional medicine views aging as a fight against cancer, cardiovascular issues, neural degeneration and other diseases, she adds, calorie restriction delays the aging and vulnerability. Instead of going after diseases one at a time, you go after the underlying vulnerability and tackle them all at once.

Despite her reservations about recommending CR, Anderson praised the work of the research team in the Science Translational Medicine study for pushing this forward for possible application in clinics. In that study, test subjects followed a carefully designed 50 percent calorie restricted diet (totaling about 1,100 calories on the first day and 70 percent (about 700 calories) on the next four days, then ate whatever they wanted for the rest of the month.

Longo, the gerontologist at U.S.C., says the underlying theory of the on-again/off-again approach is that the regenerative effects of the regimen occur not so much from the fasting itself as from the recovery afterward. By contrast, long-term, uninterrupted calorie restriction can lead to the sort of negative effects seen in extreme conditions like anorexia.

The calorie-restricted diet in Longos study was 100 percent plant-based and featured vegetable soups, energy bars, energy drinks and a chip snack as well as mineral and vitamin supplements. It included nutrients designed to manipulate the expression of genes involved in aging-related processes, Longo explains. (Longo and U.S.C. are both owners of L-Nutra, the company that manufactures the diet. But he says he takes no salary or consulting fees from the company and has assigned his shares to a nonprofit organization established to support further research.)

Even the five-day-a-month calorie restriction regimen was apparently a struggle for some test subjects, resulting in a 25 percent dropout rate. But health benefits in the form of decreased body mass and better levels of glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol, along with other factors, showed up after the third month and persisted for at least three monthseven after subjects had returned full-time to a normal diet. Notably, given concerns about other forms of calorie restriction, lean muscle mass remained unchanged.

The benefits were greater for people who were obese or otherwise unhealthy, Longo says. But those individuals might also need to repeat the five-day regimen as often as once a month to the point of recovery, he adds, whereas individuals who are already healthy and athletic might repeat it just twice a year.

Neither of the two new studies argues the benefits of CR necessarily add up to a longer life. Longevity in humans is still an unpredictable by-product of our myriad variations in individual biology, behavior and circumstance. The objective, according to researchers, is merely to make the healthy portion of our lives last longer.

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The Hunger Gains: Extreme Calorie-Restriction Diet Shows Anti-Aging Results - Scientific American

Regardless of your dietary intake, there is no question that getting the proper nutrition daily is important to health, wellness and longevity specifically a healthy, happy sort of longevity. But there have long been questions on what sort of benefits or detriments various standard diets can have, whether that is a standard omnivorous intake, vegetarianism or veganism.

With recent findings, advances in nutritional studies and a fresh eye on intake needs, Americans are finding entirely new ways to live healthy and regardless of your diet, what you put in your body is supremely important.

Julie Hersey is a nutritionist for Stop & Shop New England. She is a registered dietitian, and is passionate about healthy eating and nutritional intake, and her day-today life is never quite the same. Whether she is in-store working with customers to maximize their health through dietary intake, or out on the road working on events or at hospitals, she always has her mind set on healthy lives through healthy diets.

I grew up in a big Greek family and weve always loved food, said Hersey. Thats the center of my family. We always had gardens as kids, and wed be in the kitchen making a salad together. I grew up surrounded by home cooking. In high school I was an athlete, and realized the impact of not eating correctly, how that would affect me playing soccer and running for 90 minutes. I learned to make that connection. I took one bio chem class in high school and really loved the idea of how food impacts your body.

Hersey went on to attend Syracuse University, where she received her bachelors of science in dietetics and clinical nutrition services before an internship at the University of Connecticut led to her masters of science at the same school. While nutrition at the time wasnt as popular an interest as it would become, it was something she said she always felt passionate about, and landing in her current role as nutritionist at Stop & Shop was a dream come true.

This was my dream job, Hersey said. I had gotten to work at supermarkets when I was an intern. I wanted to work in the super markets. After I finished my masters I saw the job posting and I was so excited. I knew after a two-hour interview it went well. Most dietitians in a supermarket say its their dream job. Its a little bit of everything. You get to do counseling one one one, get out in the community and teaching people what to do with things.

On any given day, Hersey will teach nutrition classes to children, talk to kids and adults at hospitals, or work with customers within her home store. She also works with the media team doing events, and has worked in the past with the Patriots, Red Sox and more. While vegetarianism and veganism have existed for as long as humans had the ability to make decisions on their intake, rather than what they could forage or hunt around them, the past decades have seen an uptick in individuals classifying themselves as each.

For those unaware, vegetarians do not eat meat, while vegans dont eat meat or any other animal product, such as eggs and dairy. There are myths surrounding each. That it is impossible to maintain healthy nutrition as either is a common belief, and while that can be true without proper intake, vegetarianism, veganism and being omnivorous can all be healthy or unhealthy lifestyles.

You kind of have to sit down and talk to a dietitian to figure out what youre getting and what you might be missing out on, explained Hersey. Are you lacto-ovo? Do you have dairy? You might be OK with calcium and vitamin D. Are you eating eggs? You can be OK with B12. Not only vegetarians are deficient in vitamin D. Calcium is always a controversial one. A lot of dark veggies have calcium. Tofu is fortified in calcium. There are ways to get calcium in those diets, but also exercising is a good way to maintain your bone health.

The issue isnt whether or not any of these options can be healthy they can it is tailoring your intake to match your nutritional needs. For instance, vegetarians and vegans can get iron from plants, but that iron intake should be paired with vitamin C to be properly absorbed. Omega 3 Fatty acids are another area vegetarians and vegans may need help with, but they are not alone in that.

Vegans and vegetarians arent alone in needing omega 3 fatty acids, said Hersey. If you arent eating fish, you are getting it from plant-based sources like flax seeds and tofu and walnuts. The plant-based versions are a little tougher to convert. Fats are making a big comeback, picking the anti-inflammatory fats. Theyre really good for digestion and your joints.

While an omnivorous diet is the most versatile, and from a convenience perspective offers the most straightforward path to proper nutrition, there are difficulties inherent in that diet as well.

Were trying to get people to be more conscious of the portion sizes of meat and also the quality, explained Hersey. Thinking of protein more as a topping rather than the bulk of the dish. Think about the vegetables first. Breakfast is an occasion that most omnivores are not getting enough protein in the morning. Were a carbohydrate-heavy nation at breakfast. Bagels, waffles, bread, cereal. Protein in the morning helps your blood sugar not spike so high. We need to get more protein in that breakfast, whether thats eggs, or Greek yogurt or nuts.

Regardless of your diet, the choices you make in what you put in your body are still the most crucial components, and according to Hersey, that is the number one thing those looking to enhance their nutrition must come to terms with.

I think really, getting back in touch with the fact that food is your fuel, said Hersey. You are what you eat. Really understanding that. If you dont put good gas in your car, it doesnt run well. If you dont put any in, it wont run at all. Your mood, your organs and your skin, everything is affected. I think, mostly, I try to teach people just to live a better life, longer. Not just living long, but living healthy in that long life. You really want to be generally healthy your whole life.

Reporter Joshua Lyford can be reached at 508-749-3166, ext. 325, or by email at Jlyford@worcestermagazine.com. Follow Josh on Twitter @Joshachusetts and on Instagram @Joshualyford.

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Vegetarian, vegan or omnivore: Staying healthy, longer - Worcester Mag

Scientists have recently become aware there's a connection between our gut and our brain. But just how deep does this connection go? Could we, say, treat depression just by adopting a Mediterranean diet? A new study suggests, yes.

Doctors have been prescribing diets to their patients as a preventative measure against heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and now depression joins that list. We now have real evidence to back up whats good common sense: that eating well doesnt just benefit your body, but it also benefits your brain, says Columbia professor Drew Ramsey, who wrote, Eat Complete.

Ramsey represents a growing group of mental health experts who practice nutritional psychiatry. The idea of a gut-brain connection is one that has been gaining ground in scientific studies and some have started putting these ideas into practice. There's evidence to suggest certain foods influence the bacteria in our gut, which in turn influence mental health.

emeran-mayer-on-depression-and-the-mind-gut-connection

Its also important to note about 95 percent of your bodys serotonin is made in your gastrointestinal tract. Scientists are just beginning to discover this secret life of microbes and how much they influence other aspects of our overall health and wellbeing. But we can influence our microbiome with what we eat.

The brain is also directly affected by diet. Tryptophan is the amino acid that we use to make serotonin and dopamine, Ramseytold uswhen he came to Big Think.These are very, very important mood-regulating and learning-regulating neurotransmitters, or chemicals in the brain. And so the idea is to give people a core set of foods. You know, again, with every bite you're getting all the nutrients that your brain needs.

Researchers from Australias Deakin University led a controlled clinical trial which gives promising results towards suggesting dietary improvement guided by a clinical dietician may provide an efficacious treatment strategy for the management of this highly prevalent mental disorder. The researchers recruited several hundred patients with moderate to severe depression, 67 of whom participated in a 12-week parallel group trial. All participants had poor dietary quality when they entered the trail, meaning they ate empty carbs and nutrient-sparse foods, like pizza, pasta and baked goods what Ramsey terms the "beige diet" or the "12-year-old boy diet".

Ramsey explains the trial result that is exciting for the future of mental health treatment:

"The augmentation effect was quite robust for an adjunctive treatment. In the treatment group, about 32% of patients achieved remission, compared with 8% in the control group. In terms of risk-benefit profiles, a dietary intervention is emerging as a very safe and effective way for us to engage our patients."

The promising meal plan has been coined the Modi-Medi Diet or modified mediterranean diet and consists of legumes, leafy greens, colorful vegetables, a variety of quality seafood, quality lean red meat, fruits, olive oil, and nuts.Ramsey emphasizes that the quality of food, in particular of meat and seafood, is important which is often an area of concern for people trying to make a positive diet change: organic food is expensive. During the trial, the Australian researchers actually found that eating the right foods for optimal brain health is cheaper. "The average Australian spends $138 a week on food. Those who were taking part in the study spent just $112," says Ramsey. What is it about these foods that boost brain function and mental health? They contain nutrients the brain needs, specificallyomega-3 fats, zinc, magnesium, iron, and vitamin B12, which are "highly correlated with a lower risk for depression and dementia."

Its important to note, the field of nutritional psychiatry is still new, so you should not use this diet as a substitute for consulting a therapist if you feel depressed.

drew-ramsey-on-diet-and-depression

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Is Your Diet Fighting Depression or Intensifying It? - Big Think

Book emerges out of Russ Branjords journey from obesity to a six-pack.

by Joni Astrup Associate Editor Russ Branjord wears his wedding ring on the middle finger of his left hand because it would fall off if he wore it on his ring finger. Russ Branjord, before and after his extraordinary weight loss. Submitted photos

He could have it resized, but the oversized ring is a symbol of the victory hes won in his battle against weight. And, the ring often serves as an opener to talk to others about how he achieved lasting weight loss. Branjord, of Elk River, lost 100 pounds in 11 months when he was in his 20s. He shared what worked for him in his 2006 book, Spike Diet, which went on to show up on the top 100 sales chart for weight loss books on Amazon a few times. Now age 40 and still fit and trim, Branjord has just released a new book, Spike Diet X: Obese to Six Pack: How I Escaped Diet Hell. The cover of Russ Branjords new book, Spike Diet X.

Although he was active and athletic (he played semi-pro football while in his 20s), Branjord said he struggled with obesity from an early age growing up in Hugo, Minnesota. He hit 200 pounds before his 13th birthday. Middle school in particular was awful, as he was bullied and teased because of his weight. Branjord said he tried everything to lose weight and keep it off, but success eluded him. By age 26, he weighed 330 pounds and said he was on his way to 400. At 26 I gave up. I was tired of fighting it and trying so hard but not getting anywhere, like a rat on a wheel. I convinced myself that I would be happier if I would just accept who I am, that genetically this is who I was meant to be, he said. But while on a family vacation on the North Shore, Branjord was holding his young son one day and thinking about his future, wondering what he would tell him if he, too, went on to become obese and wanted to lose weight. That, Branjord said, restoked his motivation. When he and his family returned home, he started dieting. But after a number of weeks, Branjord hit a plateau where he stopped losing weight and food cravings started getting stronger and stronger. In the past, Branjord said he would have given up at that point. But he had recently become a Christian and found inspiration in several Bible verses, including one that says, Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Branjord said he also heard a voice telling him to give in, so he did. In one day he ate all the foods he had been craving, including doughnuts, pizza, two Dairy Queen blizzards and food from Burger King. I went nuts, he said.

The next morning, Branjord said his food cravings were gone and he could start over. When he weighed himself several days later, he was surprised to find he had lost 3 pounds. He repeated the process the next week, spiking one day by eating the foods he had been craving and then the other six days he watched his diet, chose healthy foods, stayed within his calorie range and did something active. By the end of the second week, he had lost another 2 pounds. I realized that theres more to losing weight than eating less and exercising more, he said. I started questioning everything that I was told about dieting. He came to realize that his metabolism slowed down when he dieted. In a nutshell, that one day off got my body back to normal again, he said. He found support for his ideas in the Minnesota Semi-Starvation Experiment done in the 1940s. The study found that after several days of caloric restrictions, metabolism slows down and cravings increase to stop the person from starving to death, Branjord said. It makes complete sense over the history of time because humans werent dying of overeating. They were dying of starvation. So, it makes sense that those two things would happen, Branjord said. He said when trying to lose weight, its very important to eat a surplus of calories one day a week a spike day. For him, the Spike Diet has been life-changing. My past life seems like its somebody else, he said. At 6 foot 1 inch tall, Branjord today weighs 200 pounds. His body fat is at about 10 percent. He enjoys lifting weights, playing basketball and playing with his kids. In his spare time, he performs in local theater productions. Author Russ Branjord with his daughter, Lucy. Russ Branjord with his daughter, Katie.

Branjord and his wife of 17 years, Nichole, have a 25-year-old daughter they adopted from foster care when she was 13, and four biological children ranging in age from 1 to 14. Branjord is the former club director of the Boys and Girls Club of Elk River who now works as a licensed loan officer for Movement Mortgage in Eden Prairie. He has a deep desire to share with others what has helped him, and offer them hope in the battle against weight. Branjord said 66 percent of the population is overweight and 95 percent of people who lose weight dieting eventually gain it all back. He had high hopes for his new book to widely disseminate his message. His publisher had approached him in 2011 to write Spike Diet X and promised him an ambitious book launch. As the October 2012 release date neared, a public relations firm set up a 12-city launch tour starting at the Barnes and Noble in New York City and finishing several weeks later in Los Angeles. Each city had network TV appearances and signings at large bookstores. But then, out of the blue, the publisher went out of business a few months before the release date, and all plans for the book evaporated into thin air. It was a heartbreaking setback for Branjord and he decided to let go of the dream of a second book. Eventually, however, he said he came to realize giving up on the dream for the book was like giving up on his dream to lose weight. He decided to refuse to quit and has now published the Spike Diet X through Amazon CreateSpace. The book is available through Amazon. The foreword is written by a physician. Branjord doesnt know where it will lead. But he feels if it helps one person transform their life, the journey will have all been worth it.

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Mainstreams: Escaping 'diet hell' - Star News

Keshaslegal battle with Dr. Luke continues in court and in public, with the latest being aPage Six report that Keshas camp entereddocuments into court containing emails from Luke, intended to demonstrate that he belittled Kesha for her eating habits.The singer has previously said that Lukes comments about her weight caused her emotional distress and led to an eating disorder.

Most notably, the documents show Lukecontacting Keshasmanager, Monica Cornia, in 2012 to report that the singerwas eating diet coke and turkey while she was supposed to be ona juice fast.Per Page Six:

Nobody was calling anybody out, Dr. Luke writes to Cornia at 2:11 a.m. on June 28, 2012, according to a copy of the email.

We were having a discussion on how she can be more disciplined with her diet. there have been many times we have all witnessed her breaking her diet plan. this perticular [sic] time it happened to be diet coke and turkey while on an all juice fast, the producer gripes.

Cornia asks him to be more supportive because shes a human and not a machine, then adds, if she were a machine that would be way cool and we could do whatever we want.

Dr. Luke also reveals in an earlier message that A list songwriters and producers are reluctant to give Kesha their songs because of her weight.

Another portion of the exchanges concerns two potentiallyrics to Keshas 2012 single Crazy Kids, neither of which ended up making the song:

In one email, Cornia says Dr. Luke wanted the phrase, You see us in the club sip sippin bub, while Kesha preferred, You see us in the streets we da we da freaks, because she doesnt go to clubs.

I dont give a st what you want. If you were smart you would go in and sing it, Dr. Luke allegedly told Kesha, according to Cornia.

Recently, both Kesha and Luke sought to amend their respective lawsuit with additional countersuits. Lukes latest claims revolve around a separate rape allegation Kesha texted to Lady Gaga, while Kesha claims shes owed back royalties for Timber, her 2013 collaboration with Pitbull.

Update,February 16:Dr. Lukes lawyer, Christina Lepera, has issued the following statement toRolling Stoneregarding the email release:

Kesha and her attorneys continue to mislead by refusing to disclose the larger record of evidence, showing the bad faith of Kesha Sebert and her representatives, which is greatly damaging to them. It also shows the tremendous support that Dr. Luke provided Kesha regarding artistic and personal issues, including Keshas own concerns over her weight.

Rather than agree to a thorough disclosure, Kesha and her representatives improperly publicized, without Court permission, three out-of-context emails which do not present the full picture regarding the events they concern, Lepera continues. For example, these emails do not show that the lyrics of Crazy Kids were, in fact, rewritten at Keshas request. Any claim by Kesha to the contrary is deceiving the public just like her other meritless claims of wrongdoing by Dr. Luke. Dr. Luke looks forward to full vindication in Court.

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Dr. Luke Hounded Kesha Over Breaking Juice Cleanse With Diet Coke, Newly Released Emails Reveal [UPDATE] - SPIN