World | Other World Stories
Low calorie diet better for lifespan than exercise
Caloric restriction has physiological benefits that exercise alone does not.
- IANS
- Published: 00:33 May 15, 2008
A low-calorie diet is likely to be better than regular exercise or aerobics in extending one's lifespan, according to a study.
"We know that being lean rather than obese is protective from many diseases, but key rodent studies tell us that being lean from eating less, as opposed to exercising more, has greater benefit for living longer," said Derek M. Huffman of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the study's lead author.
Although the study applies only to rodents, at least two studies which examined people engaging in high-volume exercise versus people who restricted calorie intake, had a similar outcome: caloric restriction has physiological benefits that exercise alone does not.
Two previous studies showed that rats that exercise regularly will, on average, live longer compared to a group that eats the same amount but does not exercise. The findings of the study appear in the latest issue of the American Journal of Physiology.
More from Other World Stories
More from World
News Editor's choice
-
Allies quit ruling coalition in Nepal
Political row could trigger months of street protests and violence
-
Qatar blaze 'started at nursery'
Fire killed 19 including 13 children, at Doha’s main shopping centre
-
Jagan jailed over illegal assets
Andhra Pradesh leader accused of corruption, cheating, conspiracy
