According to a recent study, genetics affects life expectancy more than diet.

It has long been believed that reduce calorie intake can prolong life. This concept comes from research that suggests that reducing calorie intake by 25% can delay aging by 3%. However, recent research has questioned the effectiveness of this practice as a general longevity strategy.

The study, published Oct. 9 in a scientific journal Naturerevealed that Genes play a more important role in longevity than just calorie restriction. The researchers observed that within each food group, the lifespan of mice varied significantly, leading to the conclusion that factors genetic They profoundly influence how organisms respond to calorie restriction. This finding contradicts the common belief that a low-calorie diet is a determinant of longevity. Genetics may be a key component that causes some organisms to live longer than others, regardless of what they eat, scientists say.

Experts have studied the effects of calorie restriction and intermittent fasting in almost 1000 mice. The study included five groups: one ate without restrictions, two with 60% And 80% their initial calorie intake, and the two who practiced intermittent fastingdo not eat one or two days a week, and eat freely on the remaining days.

Mice that ate unlimited food lived on average 25 months. Those who followed intermittent fasting lived 28 monthsthose of 80% calories they lived 30 months and those from 60% they lived 34 months. In calorie-restricted mice, lifespan varied widely, from several months to four and a half yearswhich shows that genetics influence much more than diet.

As one of the authors of the study, Gary Churchill, noted: “Our data shows that weight loss while restricting calories is actually harmful to life expectancy.” This means that while calorie restriction may be beneficial in some cases, genes each person may be more defining.

The results of this mouse study also have profound implications for how research on restrictive diets in humans. The relationship between diet and longevity has been studied extensively here, but the results of this study highlight the importance of considering individual genetics.

As the researchers noted, there were large differences in lifespan in each group of mice studied, suggesting that the same dietary regimens may have very different effects on people with different genetic profiles. In this sense, the team hypothesized that the effects of restrictive diets “This will largely depend on how a person’s genes modulate their response to calorie restriction or intermittent fasting.”

One of the highlights of the study is the inclusion of mice. genetically diversewhich allowed the results to be better presented genetic variation that exists in the human population. Unlike previous studies, which were conducted on animals with a uniform genetic profile, this study included almost 1,000 female mice with different genetic configurations.

The team explained that this genetic diversity allowed the researchers to gain a more accurate understanding of how diets might affect people with different genetic profiles in the real world. According to the study: “Each mouse was selected to be genetically individual, allowing the team to better represent the genetic diversity of the human population.”

Although calorie restriction has traditionally been viewed as an effective strategy for prolonging life, the study also found that lose weight As a result of this type of diet, you may experience negative impact on life expectancy. In particular, mice that they lost even more weight due to calorie restriction indicated weakening of the immune and reproductive systems and, as a result, a shorter life.

This finding suggests that excessive weight loss strict diets can compromise your health rather than improve it. This result challenges the common belief that weight loss in itself is a positive indicator of long-term health and raises questions about how calorie restriction may negatively affect life expectancy from certain individuals.