Calorie restriction « Ageless Brain

Atkins diet research

“The Atkins Nutritional Approach counts grams of carbohydrates instead of calories… If you are losing weight, there is no need to concern yourself with counting calories. ”

Source: atkins.com

You might be doubtful and chances are that mainstream diets are the reason. Of course you couldn’t avoid opinions like the below Q&A posted by Health Care Reality Check:

Q: Can a person eat unlimited calories, and still lose weight, as long as they severely restrict carbohydrates?

A: No, she can not. The basis of ketogenic diets, such as the Atkins Diet, is a severe restriction of carbohydrate calories, which simply causes a net reduction in total calories. Since carbohydrate calories are limited, intake of fat usually increases. This high fat diet causes ketosis (increased blood ketones from fat breakdown), which suppresses hunger, and thus contributes to caloric restriction. — Ellen Coleman, RD, MA, MPH

Is this a correct answer?

Let’s first discuss whether it’s a correct question. Or, rather, is this the real question so frequently asked by dieters. In my experience, this in fact sounds a little bit different but this makes ALL the difference.

This is what real dieters ask:

Q: Can low carb dieters eat all they want, and still lose weight as long as they only eat allowed foods?

A: Yes, they can. The basis of ketogenic diets, such as the Atkins Diet, is a restriction of carbohydrate-containing foods in favor of fat and protein containing foods, which causes the state of ketosis resulting in significant decrease in appetite. Since appetite decreases, most of low carb dieters consume significantly less calories WITHOUT INTENTIONAL CALORIE RESTRICTION.

Is there scientific evidence? There is.

Study #1 by: Bassett Research Institute in Cooperstown, NY and Durham (N.C.) Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Reported: Proceedings of North American Association for the Study of Obesity, Oct. 29, 2000, Long Beach, CA

Who participated:

18 obese men and women with 30 or more pounds to lose.

Average calorie intake before the study: 2,481 calories a day

Method:

Dr. Atkins’ Book, the “New Diet Revolution” used as instruction for the dieters.

Results:

1. Calorie intake during the most restrictive induction phase (when only 20 g of carbohydrates were allowed) was 1,419 calories a day on average and weight loss was more than 8 pounds on average.

2. Calorie intake during the ongoing weight-loss phase (when carbohydrate intake is being increased gradually, by 5 g a day) dieters ate an average of 1,500 calories a day and lost an additional 3 pounds in two weeks.

3. The calorie reduction was attributed almost completely to carbohydrate abstaining. Intake of fat and protein remained practically the same as before the diet.

4. After 6 months on Atkins diet, 41 overweight people lost an average of 10% of their weight. Most dieters lowered their cholesterol by 5%, but there were a few whose cholesterol increased.

5. 20 out of 41 dieters continued the program, and kept the lost weight off for more than a year.

Study #2 by: Harvard School of Public Health.

Reported: American Association for the Study of Obesity, October 16, 2003

Who participated: 21 overweight volunteers.

Two groups were randomly assigned to either lowfat or low-carb diets with 1,500 calories for women and 1,800 for men; a third group was also low-carb but got an extra 300 calories a day.

Method:

All the food was prepared at a restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Note that most earlier studies including the above Study #1 simply gave out diet plans.

So in this study, dieters were given dinner and a bedtime snack as well as breakfast and lunch for the next day, which made the setting a carefully controlled one. Foods were mostly fish, chicken, salads, vegetables and unsaturated oils. Red meats and saturated fats were limited (as opposed to traditional Atkins menus.)

All meals looked similar but were cooked to different recipes. The low-carb meals were 5% carbs, 15% protein, 65% fat. The low fat group got 55% carbohydrate, 15% protein, 30% fat.

Results:

1. All dieters lost weight, but those on low carb diet lost more than the low fat group — even while consuming MORE calories:

- Group on lower-cal, low-carb diet lost an average of 23 lbs.

- Group on same-calories low-fat diet lost an average of 17 lbs.

- Group on extra 300 calories, low-carb diet lost an average of 20 lbs.

2. Over the course of the study, the group of low carb dieters who got an extra 300 calories a day consumed extra 25,000 calories. That should have added up to about seven pounds. But for some reason, it did not.

Discussion:

“It doesn’t make sense, does it?” said Barbara Rolls of Pennsylvania State University. “It violates the laws of thermodynamics. No one has ever found any miraculous metabolic effects.”

So it violates the laws of thermodynamics, huh? Not so fast! When it comes to calorie counting, the “calorie is a calorie” concept is very deceiving.

Let’s see what we count when we think we count calories. When you burn a piece of wood in a stove, you can directly measure how much heat energy it produces. Then you can claim that you know how many calories a piece of wood contains, right? Not exactly. You should specify what kind of wood it was, dry or wet, how you burned it, etc. Because if you spent another material to start the burning, you should subtract these calories from the total; if the wood was wet you should take into account the calories that the water evaporation took. So even with a piece of wood, it’s not that simple.

Now look at a piece of food. You know how they tell how many calories it contains? Same way they talk about a piece of wood in a stove. It’s the calorie number that the food would produce by being burnt in a stove.

Then in addition to the wood’s calorie estimation (that takes into account the dryness, etc.), you should add many more circumstances: how hard should one chew it before being able to swallow, how hard one’s enzyme system will have work to digest it, will it influence the hormones in charge of fat storing? What about its effect on the hormones in charge of fat burning?

Which chain of reactions will it trigger, activity-wise or metabolism-wise? Will it make one sleepy, thus conserving the energy? Ot will it make one jumpy, thus wasting the energy?

Study #3 by: Laboratory of Applied Physiology, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan

Reported: J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Dec;88(12):5661-7

Method:

Healthy boys, aged 8-11 yr, were examined for resting energy expenditure and the thermic effect of a meal, which were measured for three hours after a same-calorie but high-fat or a high-carb meals.

Results:

There was no changes after high carbohydrate meals but there was an increase in resting energy expenditure after a high-fat meal.

If the researchers in the Study #2 would have measured resting energy expenditure and the thermic effects of the meals, they would probably have registered the same changes. Then everybody would make a sigh of relief: none of the laws of thermodynamics have been violated; yes, the low-carb dieters COULD INDEED eat more calories and lose more weight than the low-fat group while violating no physical laws because — they just burnt more, all the time, even at rest. It’s that simple.

Thirty percent less calories = thirty percent better memory

Brain Aging, Calorie restriction, Memory — 6:33 am

Thirty percent less calories equals thirty percent better memory

Calorie restriction benefits for the aging brain health have been proposed and the mechanisms were suggested but a direct evidence showing that it can improve memory function in elderly humans appeared only recently. The study conducted in Munster, Germany, showed that a three months calorie intake reduction by 30% compared with habitual diet or a Mediterranean style diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids (although known to positively influence memory) resulted in a highly significant, 30% improvement in memory scores of 60 something group of relatively healthy people.

A. Witte et al., 2009. Caloric restriction improves memory in elderly humans. PNAS, vol. 106 no. 4 1255–126

How can calorie restriction improve brain function?

Age-protection, Calorie restriction — Tags: aging, Calorie restriction, neuroprotectors — 8:32 am

How can calorie restriction improve brain function

Researchers at the Internal Medicine & Gerontology and INSERM, Toulouse, France pointed to an array of ways that hopefully can lead to real managing of age-related diseases of the brain. They all concern calorie restriction. Thus, according to the review published by the Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, calorie restriction (CR) can protect the brain by the following mechanisms:

1. It’s a new way to improve brain health via induction of neurogenesis

2. It affects the risk for neurodegenerative disorders by increasing resistance to oxidative, metabolic or excitotoxic injuries

3. It results particularly in the upregulation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in hippocampal and cortical neurons of rats and mice, which may protect neurons against excitotoxic, oxidative and metabolic insults

4. It may prevent beta-amyloid neuropathology

5. It promote neuronal plasticity

The authors conclude: “It is now well established that caloric restriction could be used to promote successful brain aging. Data from randomized controlled trials in humans are limited. No positive effect on cognitive impairment was found probably due to methodological limitations. The long-term effects of caloric restriction in adults must be clarified before engaging in such preventive strategy. Additional animal studies must be conducted in the future to test the effects of ‘multidomain’ interventions (caloric restriction plus regular exercise) on age-related cognitive decline”

Source:

S. Gillette-Guyonneta, and B. VellasaCaloric restriction and brain function. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 2008, 11:686–692

Researchers at the Internal Medicine & Gerontology and INSERM, Toulouse, France pointed to an array of ways that hopefully can lead to a real management of age-related diseases of the brain. They all concern calorie restriction. Thus, according to the review published by the Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, calorie restriction (CR) can protect the brain by the following mechanisms:

1. It’s a new way to improve brain health via induction of neurogenesis

2. It affects the risk for neurodegenerative disorders by increasing resistance to oxidative, metabolic or excitotoxic injuries

4. It may prevent beta-amyloid neuropathology

5. It promotes neuronal plasticity

Source:

S. Gillette-Guyonneta, and B. VellasaCaloric restriction and brain function. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 2008, 11:686–692

Carbohydrate Addict Diet – an intermittent ketosis plan?

Calorie restriction, Carbohydrates, Diet — 7:52 am

Intermittent fasting is popular today. One of the aspects of this calorie restriction techniques is periodic ketosis, which is proved to be neuroprotective. Another aspect is periodic interruption of glycolysis, which is also good for the brain. However, the Hellers were first to empirically formulate the idea and make it very dieter-friendly: Rachael F. Heller, Richard F. Heller. The Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet: The Lifelong Solution to Yo-Yo Dieting. Signet (1993)

<– Carbohydrate Addict Diet Food Pyramid

This diet is for you if you have:

• forceful hunger
• craving for carbohydrate-rich foods
• need for starches
• desire for snack foods, junk food, or sweets?

Do you have problems:

• staying away from food between meals
• staying away from snacks at night
• stopping a meal containing starches and sweets
• eating tasty food while not being hungry
• staying alert after a large meal
• staying alert early afternoon
• keeping your weight off after losing weight due to dieting

Do you tend to overeat these foods:

• Breads
• Bagels
• Cakes
• Cereal
• Chocolate
• Cookies
• Crackers
• fruit
• juice
• ice cream
• potatoes
• pasta
• rice
• popcorn
• sodas?

Do you indulge in:

• sugar substitutes
• alcohol
• monosodium glutamate?

If you answered “yes” to at least one of the questions in each category, the CAD might be right for you.

The diet prescribes two meals, called Complementary Meals, which limit carbohydrate generally same way most low carb diets do. Most people choose breakfast and lunch for their complementary meals. The diet allows one Reward Meal not limiting carbohydrate content but limiting this meal’s duration to strictly one hour. It is believed that with this meal planning you body is tricked into releasing less insulin. Thus, it better controls blood sugar levels and therefore stores less fat.

The diet starts with the Entry Plan. You eat two complementary meals and a reward meal, no snacks, for a week, then you weigh. Your plan for the next week will depend on your weight loss and your weight loss goal. For instance, if you loss was around 2 pounds, you go to the Plan A, which is essentially same plan, but you are allowed to have a low carb snack.

If after following the Entry Plan for a week you lost 0.5 lb. To 2 lb., you go to the Plan B, which is in fact staying on the Entry Plan for one more week.

If you didn’t lose any weight on Entry Plan, you go to the Plan C and this is an interesting part. All you do differently comparing with the Entry Plan, is eating two big salads made of leafy green vegetables before both of your two daily complementary meals.

There’s also the Plan D, for the most stubborn body weight, where you add one more salad, before your Reward Meal. This planning goes on every new week.

From the book:

The Banta Diet: A diet mobilizing the fat burning biochemical pathway. 92 % success rate since 2002

Reprinted with permission

Is calorie restriction stressful?

Age-protection, Calorie restriction, Oxidative damage — 8:46 am

Yes, but it seems to be a good stress. The mechanism of action of caloric restriction remains unknown; owever, data suggest that cellular functions are altered in such a way that destructive by-products of metabolism are reduced, and defense or repair systems are enhanced by this nutritional manipulation. (Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 11(4):553-65, 1995)

The amount of oxidative damage increases as an organism ages and is postulated to be a major causal factor of senescence. Restriction of caloric intake lowers levels of oxidative stress and damage, retards age associated changes, and extends the maximum life span in mammals. Animal and human studies suggest potential benefits of dietary restriction, exercise, antioxidants, hormones and deprenyl.

Does deprenyl mimic at least some of calorie restriction effects? Probably, thinks Dr. Masoro. “Dietary restriction protects against oxidative damage and oxidative damage is probably an inevitable component of fuel use.” So does deprenil, though in rather narrow way. Deprenyl (selegiline) is a neuroprotective drug an inhibitor of brain monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B). That means it inhibits a very particular enzyme promoting oxidation of the brain chemical monoamines, which are very important in many vital functions, including cognition.

Dietary restriction was found to retard age associated decline of sensory and movement coordination, and improve performance of aged mice on learning problems. “Studies in aged calorie restricted mice indicated that lowering of protein oxidation by calorie restriction could be reversed within a time frame of three to six weeks. These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of dietary restriction upon brain function and life span may depend upon its ability to acutely reduce steady state levels of oxidative stress.” (Archives of Biochemistry & Biophysics, 333(1):189-97, 1996)

Can Adults Benefit from Calorie Restriction?

Age-protection, Calorie restriction — 8:43 am

Research results showed that when calories are restricted in older animals, an increase in life span is still observed; though not as great as that observed in the animals that were calorie restricted since they were young. The data of this research suggests there may be a level of maturity, or a stage in the aging process, after which caloric restriction no longer increases longevity. (6) Restricted nutrient intake may have beneficial effects on alults’ degenerative disease, autoimmune processes, susceptibility to infection and survival rate after infection. (New Horizons, 2(2):257-63, 1994).

Adult rats fed the calorie restricted yet nutritionally balanced diet ate fewer meals but consumed more food during each meal. They also spent more time eating during each meal. The average body temperature per day was significantly lower in restricted rats. However, they moved around significantly more than the rats that were fed as much as they pleased, so they spent more energy during the day.

Dietary restriction and life span

Age-protection, Brain Aging, Calorie restriction — 8:41 am

A calorie restriction effect on longevity is a very well documented topic of experimental biology. It is important to know that life span researchers deal mostly with small size any meals since their generations change much faster than in larger size animal species. It is also important that only restriction as serious as 30 to 60 percent of “all you can eat” amount can cause significant improvement in health and longevity.

It was first demonstrated in insects, where it yielded up to a 300% increase in life span; then in young small size mammals such as mice and rats, where results were more modest but still impressive. Later the results on adult animals appeared, yet more modest, but still significant. As to the human outcome, published epidemiological studies have reported evidence of reduced mortality rates in persons who have lost weight, regardless of whether the weight loss was due to decreased calorie intake or increased energy expenditure (1). These data are consistent with experimental results where exercise increased average longevity of female rats, despite increased food intake (2).

This consistency is probably the reason for hopes arising from numerous animal data showing benefits of calorie restriction in animals, including improvement in immune status, anti-cancer defense system and decrease in the occurrence of general disease. The hope, if not for increased longevity, is at least for decreased mortality.

Can we use calorie restriction to improve health and to live longer? A daily calorie

restriction of 30 to 60 percent seems to be too hard a sacrifice. Perhaps this is why new hope arose when preliminary information about developing an anti-aging drug mimicking effects of semi-starvation leaked into mass media.

Dr. Masoro from the Department of Physiology and Aging Research, University of Texas, reviewed 54 scientific articles and concluded: “A spectrum of findings indicates that dietary restriction retards the aging processes of mice and rats. It also maintains many physiological processes in a youthful state and, most strikingly, retards or prevents almost all age-associated disease processes.” (3) However, it’s too soon to use the calorie restriction as a strategy to improve health and prolong life.

“Due to the interrelationships between disease and older age, and the limitations of existing research in this area, most life extension strategies are untested hypotheses. Many strategies merit scientific inquiry, but they cannot be recommended for use. More extensive research is necessary to assess their safety, effectiveness, and socio-economic impact, and to resolve ethical controversies before they can be considered applicable in humans.” (Pharmacotherapy, 16(2):183-200, 1996)

Can we use calorie restriction to improve health and to live longer? A daily calorie restriction of 30 to 60 percent seems to be too hard a sacrifice. Perhaps this is why new hope arose when preliminary information about developing an anti-aging drug mimicking effects of semi-starvation leaked into mass media.

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