Moderate Dieting May Calm Inflammation as You Age

Pruning: Longevity experts have known for a while now that cutting calories can add extra years to an animal’s life. Overdoing the calorie restriction, though, can prompt the body’s immune system to push back. With that in mind, a new study published in Nature Aging has taken a closer look at what’s happening in the body during moderate calorie restriction, and whether people could get similar benefits without following a super strict diet.

The Study: Over two years, researchers analyzed blood from 42 adults who cut calorie intake by about 11 to 14 percent (considered a moderate amount that didn’t leave them feeling deprived). After scanning thousands of proteins, they found that C3 (an immune protein linked to chronic inflammation) dropped noticeably. Tests in mice confirmed this, and blocking C3 lowered age-related inflammation even in animals that hadn’t lost weight.

The Takeaway: The benefit of calorie restriction doesn’t seem tied to weight as much as to a specific biological scale. And that finding opens the door to future treatments that could mimic calorie restriction without requiring people to eat less.

Keep in Mind: Scientists are already in the process of testing existing drugs that target C3, but the research is still very early.