Protein Restriction to Extend Life

[emily_in_nc]

Posted in Dr. Gabe Mirkin's weekly health/fitness e-zine today. Curious as what you folks think about it. I know a lot here are on high-protein diets.
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Dr. Gabe Mirkin's Fitness and Health E-Zine
February 20, 2011

Restrict Protein, Not Just Calories, to Prolong Life

Recent research show that protein restriction may be far
more effective than calorie restriction in prolonging the lives of
humans. Many studies show that restricting calories prolongs the
lives of yeast, worms, spiders, flies, insects, rats and probably
monkeys. Humans who severely restrict calories have long-life
characteristics, such as low cholesterol and blood pressure and
hearts that are more than 15 years younger than those of other
North Americans their age (Experimental Gerontology, August 2007).
However, most of the test group of humans who restrict
calories do not have a drop in a hormone called Insulin-Like
Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) that appears necessary for living a long
time. High blood levels of IGF-1 are associated with premature
aging and diseases of aging such as diabetes and cancer.
IGF-1 levels are lower than normal in worms, flies and mice on
restricted-calorie diets, but not in humans. This week a report
shows that IGF-1 shortens life by increasing cell DNA genetic
damage, and causes cancer by blocking apoptosis that causes cancer
cells to kill themselves before they destroy their host (Science
Translational Medicine, February 16, 2011).
Luigi Fontana, a professor of medicine at Washington
University in St Louis, noticed that most calorie-restricting
humans eat high levels of protein, about 1.7 grams per kilogram of
body weight/day. This is more than the US government-recommended
intake of 0.8 g/kg/day, and even higher than the 1.2 g/kg/day that
the average American eats. Dr. Fontana asked humans on calorie
restricted diets to reduce their intake of protein to 0.95 g/kg/day.
After just three weeks of reduced protein intake, their IGF-1 levels
dropped markedly (Aging Cell, September, 2008).
Among the calorie-restricting humans, vegans have lower
levels of IGF-1 than meat-eaters (Rejuvenation Research, February
2007). Strict vegans also have significantly lower IGF-1 levels
than people who restrict just calories, even if they are heavier
and have more body fat. Strict vegans take in about 10 percent of
their calories from protein, whereas those on calorie restriction
tended to get 24 percent of calories from protein. Other data
show that diets lower in protein might protect against some
cancers. So restricting protein may be more important than
restricting calories.
If fruit flies and rodents are fed special diets that
restrict protein, they can eat as many calories as they want and
still live longer (Nature, December 2009). This suggests that as
long as you are not overweight, you may not need to restrict
calories. Instead, restrict only protein which is far easier to do.
Furthermore, you can probably eat all the fruits and
vegetables you want and not restrict calories as long as you
restrict protein. That's very good news because it is far easier
to restrict protein than it is to restrict all foods. The only way
that you can restrict calories and still remain healthy is to eat
a diet based on vegetables. It now appears that you extend your
life far more by reducing protein that you would by restricting
just calories.

[shootingstar]

I think the trick here is to eat more plant based protein or non-meat based protein.

What they seem to be referring (though I didn't spend time wading through the details) is meat-based protein.

And to eat protein and food in general to feel 80% full each meal.

[OakLeaf]

All I know is that this summer and fall when I was in marathon training, my fingernails and toenails were so brittle that I could hardly cut them. Even though I kept them super short, they would break at the slightest pressure.

When we ordered our Thanksgiving turkey, we asked for as small a turkey as possible, but we were late ordering (largely because DH would've preferred our usual veg Thanksgiving, but I was really craving protein and talked him into it) - so a lot of people were ahead of us for the smallest ones. We wound up with a 15# turkey, so we ate turkey for eight days running. I can't remember the last time I ate meat eight days in a row, but it had to have been at least 20 years ago. DH, who's not athletic, didn't deal with it well, but for myself, I just felt topped up. Like I'd gotten something I'd really been lacking. No ill effects at all on my digestion or whatever, just feeling really good.

Protein powders (which I really dislike getting essential nutrients from "food-like substances," powders or pills), and even fish that I usually eat once or twice a week, just weren't doing it for me.

Over the winter I can get better meat than I can in the summer, and I've been eating beef or chicken about every other week. My nails are better, I'm making steady progress healing from my crash (pretty much 95%, now - not quite ready for handstand when I tried two days ago, and not totally pain free shifting my RD, but otherwise good).

So I continue to believe, even more strongly than I did before, that I need more protein than I typically get. As with just about everything, I think the lesson is listen to your body.

[GLC1968]

That's an interesting study, but like Oak, I tend to believe that my body does better on more protien. Additionally, I've recently discovered that my mood swings to the 'dark side' when I don't get enough fresh veggies in my diet (daily), so it really, really is a balancing game.

I think that part of it is quality of life versus quantity. Maybe I could live longer if I ate less protien, but then I'd be hungrier, have less energy and less ability to do the things I love doing...so it's kind of a trade off.

[malkin]

Exactly.
What's the point of eternal life if you haven't got eternal health?
An infinite career of aches and pains and doctor visits? No thank you.

[badger]

I once saw a t.v. program on calorie restriction and longevity and the proponents of the diet were eating meagre proportions and it just seemed silly to sacrifice so much just to live a bit longer. They claim they didn't miss eating how they used to, but I don't know, it looked sad.

My dad eschewed sweets in the months before he died, being told that sugar's bad. We all said "why not eat what you enjoy?" as my mother's a fabulous baker and he's always loved cakes and such. I'm sure if he had known that he would be gone in a few months he would've eaten all the things he enjoyed rather than denying himself the pleasure for the sake of living a little bit longer.

"everything in moderation", no??

[miller]

All I know is that this summer and fall when I was in marathon training, my fingernails and toenails were so brittle that I could hardly cut them. Even though I kept them super short, they would break at the slightest pressure.

When we ordered our Thanksgiving turkey, we asked for as small a turkey as possible, but we were late ordering (largely because DH would've preferred our usual veg Thanksgiving, but I was really craving protein and talked him into it) - so a lot of people were ahead of us for the smallest ones. We wound up with a 15# turkey, so we ate turkey for eight days running. I can't remember the last time I ate meat eight days in a row, but it had to have been at least 20 years ago. DH, who's not athletic, didn't deal with it well, but for myself, I just felt topped up. Like I'd gotten something I'd really been lacking. No ill effects at all on my digestion or whatever, just feeling really good.

Protein powders (which I really dislike getting essential nutrients from "food-like substances," powders or pills), and even fish that I usually eat once or twice a week, just weren't doing it for me.

Over the winter I can get better meat than I can in the summer, and I've been eating beef or chicken about every other week. My nails are better, I'm making steady progress healing from my crash (pretty much 95%, now - not quite ready for handstand when I tried two days ago, and not totally pain free shifting my RD, but otherwise good).

So I continue to believe, even more strongly than I did before, that I need more protein than I typically get. As with just about everything, I think the lesson is listen to your body.

Sounds interesting

I feel like you need to listen to your body more then anything else

I have had good success with pistachios to keep me going in between meals

I got the same feeling you were talking about like my body got something it really needed

[celticgarden]

Many years ago I was a very lean vegetarian (who hadn't learned to like veggies all that much). I went through 6 weeks of Peace Corps aquaculture training eating at southern buffets every day, resisting most forms of protein. Then we went to Africa. Within months of eating the high carb, low veggie diet there I CRAVED meat. Not only meat, organ food. I could put away a huge plate of cooked meat, liver, kidney. I listen to my body. As Spring heads our way I start drinking tons of green smoothies: spinach, kale, yum!

Yeah, living longer for me is not a goal. Living healthier, yes. My friend's Mom is 93, just gave up her keys last year. Being 93 and active (cooking for the "seniors" at the center!) is great.

[KnottedYet]

I'm not a fruit fly.

I'm not a rat.

The study doesn't apply to me.

I think it's cute that the end of the article talks about how all you need to do is decrease the protein, and then you can eat MORE of everything else and still get the health benefits!!! Ooh, boy, isn't that music to the Standard American Diet: Look, you can eat MORE! It's all about finding ways to eat MORE! Hey, we'll put cellulose in the bread which you can't digest, then you can eat SIX pieces of bread instead of just TWO! Yay! MORE MORE MORE. Drink this soda sweetened with a neurotoxin, and you can have a sixpack at lunch instead of drinking just one can of sugared soda. MORE MORE MORE. Drop the chicken from your soup, and then you can have THREE bowls instead of ONE! EAT EAT EAT. Give MORE money to the corporations that find ways to feed you more, and everyone gets MORE of what they want. Sheesh.

Eat good food. Savor it. Have 5 ml of alcohol with your meal. Go for a walk.

What is it Michael Pollan says? "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

[Trek420]

Yeah, living longer for me is not a goal. Living healthier, yes. My friend's Mom is 93, just gave up her keys last year. Being 93 and active (cooking for the "seniors" at the center!) is great.

+1,000,000. If I can do half what my 89 year old Mom does at her age: gardening, weeding and pruning her garden, canning fruits, raising heck as an activist, walking to the store, reading to her great grandkids .... I'll be happy. It's quality of life.

She says "keep moving"