Research
Hormonal
Sustained caloric restriction significantly lowers circulating Triiodothyronine (T3) and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels, mirroring adaptations seen in long-lived animal models.
Caloric restriction lowers thyroid hormone levels (T3 and TSH) within the normal range. This is a known adaptation to energy deficit and is associated with longevity in animal studies, though its direct causal link to human lifespan is not yet established.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
The substantial decreases from baseline within the normal range in circulating T3 in CR (16 ± 1.5% at month 12, 22 ± 1.4% at 24 months) significantly exceeded changes in AL. Thyroid-stimulating hormone reductions in CR also significantly exceeded those in AL at 12 months.
Why this rating
RCT with precise hormonal assays.
Source
A 2-Year Randomized Controlled Trial of Human Caloric Restriction: Feasibility and Effects on Predictors of Health Span and Longevity
Éric Ravussin et al. · The Journals of Gerontology Series A · 2015
DOI 10.1093/gerona/glv057
rct · n=218Cited 472×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Sustained caloric restriction (approx. 12% reduction) in nonobese humans for 2 years is feasible and improves cardiometabolic risk factors (lipids, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity) and inflammatory markers (TNF-α, CRP) without adverse effects on quality of life.Strong
- Sustained caloric restriction induces metabolic adaptations, specifically a significant decrease in Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) residual and Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) residual, indicating increased metabolic efficiency.Strong
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