5 minute read
Health & Wellbeing Too much of a good thing? Arts & Entertainment
By Emily Friedel
Astudy published recently in the journal Science sheds light on why (a bit) less may be more when it comes to eating for optimal health. For most of us, finding food is as easy as a quick trip to the supermarket or café. We can eat as much as we like and as often as we like and expend little energy on this fundamental aspect of survival. It’s fair to say that in Australia, the majority of us probably consume more than is strictly necessary to keep us alive and healthy. This is a worry because even small daily excesses may be doing us harm in the long run. Awareness of this issue is seeping into popular consciousness with a plethora of celebrities giving their seals of approval to diets that focus on generally eating less. According to People Magazine, Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, eats only one meal a day, while Jennifer Aniston practices intermittent fasting and only eats during an eight-hour window. Journalist Dr Michael Mosely has also helped popularise a calorie-restricted approach to food consumption with his Fast 800 diet. But are all these famous faces, and the countless other proponents of cutting back calories, on the right track? There is mounting scientific evidence that they are. Decades of animal studies have demonstrated that calorie restriction can prolong lifespans and health spans in other species – eating less can lead to a longer, healthier life. However, there is still much to learn about how calorie restriction leads to these outcomes, how much restriction is optimal, and the long-term effects of calorie restriction on humans.
Advertisement
The Pennington Biomedical Research Centre study published in Science earlier this year is beginning to answer some of those questions. The study examined parts of the immune system in healthy, middle-aged adults who moderately reduced their baseline calorie consumption (an average of 14% reduction) and those who continued with their normal diet over two years. It’s important to note that this research was focused on moderate calorie restriction, so participants were not asked to modify their diet in any other way. To put the size of the calorie reduction into perspective, in an average 2,000-calorie a day diet, a 14% reduction would be 280 calories – about the same amount as a cupful of cooked rice and a small banana. Researchers looked at the thymus gland to see how calorie restriction might impact the immune system. The thymus resides behind the breastbone and produces T cells – a type of white blood cell that helps fight infections and certain cancers. From puberty onwards, the thymus starts shrinking rapidly and being replaced by fatty tissue. This deterioration of the thymus as we age increases susceptibility to disease. Those who had restricted their calorie intake had thymus glands with significantly greater functional volume and less fat after two years – that is, their thymuses had grown. With greater functional volume, their thymuses were able to produce more T cells. Conversely, the group that didn’t restrict calories had no difference in thymus functional volume after two years. Researchers also looked at how calorie restriction affected gene expression in body fat (adipose tissue). Adipose tissue houses several different types of immune cells, which can contribute to unwanted inflammation.
The study found that adipose tissue in the calorie-restricted group had many changes in gene expression. One of these changes was a reduction in a gene encoding a protein (PLA2G7) that increases inflammation. To get a better idea of what role this gene plays, the researchers lowered PLA2G7 in mice and demonstrated that it protected them from agerelated inflammation. This suggests that one of the underlying mechanisms of moderate calorie restriction in humans is an anti-inflammatory response brought about by reduced PLA2G7.
The findings of this study show that moderate calorie reduction in humans can positively affect immune health, and these effects may combat some of the negative effects of aging on the immune system. While this isn’t conclusive evidence that calorie restriction in humans will improve lifespan, it does hint at there being similar longevity benefits to those seen in animal studies.
Only further research will illuminate the intricacies of calorie restriction and the conditions under which it provides optimal benefits. However, what we know now should be food for thought on the topic of overconsumption and daily excesses – even if those excesses are only moderate. A little less food may be a simple way to achieve more health and more life.
The thymus resides behind the breastbone and produces T cells – a type of white blood cell that helps fight infections and certain cancers.
0491 641 474
WE OFFER BULK BILLED EYE EXAMINATIONS
Alexandra Optical 66 Grant St Alexandra Wednesday: 9am-5pm or by appointment Mansfield Optical 30c High St Mansfield Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 9am-5pm or by appointment
ALEXANDRA PHYSIOTHERAPY
Libby Gobbart PHYSIOTHERAPIST
B.App.Sc. (Physiotherapy) APAM, Cred MDT
54A Downey St Alexandra
Ph 03 5772 2649
alexphysio@aapt.net.au
CANDLES & HOME DECOR
Handmade Soy Candles Reed Diffusers Wax Melts • Bath Salts
waxyaromacandles.mybigcommerce.com 78 Grant Street Alexandra
things to make things
• knitting, sewing and craft supplies • handmade toys • children’s clothes
• Surf wear • Work wear • Mens wear • Leisure wear • Luggage • Backpacks • Accessories • Sunglasses
• gift ware • toys • hardware • kitchenware • pet supplies • party supplies • helium balloons
82-84 Grant Street Alexandra Ph 03 5772 1025 Fax 03 5772 2686
Quality possum & merino knitwear, men’s pure wool Australian made jumpers, oilskin coats, leather hats, plus home wares and children’s gifts. Open every day. 24 Murchison St, Marysville 3779 Phone (03) 5963 3753 www.countrytouch.com.au www.possumshop.com
Lit & Beyond NEW LOCATION 33 Murchison St Marysville
Ph: 0422 239 754 www.lit.com.au Facebook - Lit & beyond This beautiful ladies’ boutique store has a unique range of ladies’ clothing, fashion accessories, books, bags, jewellery, homewares, LIT CANDLES and LIT WAX BEADS with 26 different colours and fragrances Step into Lit & Beyond to find yourself that special something or a gift for someone special
