Research
Energy balance
Caloric restriction (food restriction) extends life span by decreasing oxygen consumption and reducing mitochondrial free radical damage.
Maintaining a body weight that is compatible with a sense of well-being, potentially through mild caloric restriction, may reduce the rate of mitochondrial damage and extend healthy life.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Restriction of food consumption tends to increase life span (90). It also decreases oxygen consumption. Thus... the beneficial effects of food restriction may be simply due to a decreased rate of both mitochondrial degradation and degenerative disease pathogenesis related to decreased levels of free radical reactions.
Why this rating
Consistent animal data, but human long-term effects are less clear.
Source
The aging process.
Denham Harman · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 1981
DOI 10.1073/pnas.78.11.7124
narrative_reviewCited 1,901×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Dietary interventions that minimize free radical reactions, specifically through caloric restriction and antioxidant supplementation, extend healthy life span and reduce age-related degenerative diseases.Moderate
- Antioxidant supplementation (e.g., 2-mercaptoethylamine, Santoquin, Selenium) increases life span and enhances immune function in animal models.Moderate
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →