Study links reduced calorie intake to healthier, younger-looking brain cells

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A new study published in Aging Cell suggests that long-term calorie restriction may help slow key aspects of normal brain aging. Led by Ana Vitantonio at Boston University’s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, the research examined what happens when individuals consume about 30% fewer calories for more than two decades. The study used an experimental model closely related to humans, offering unusually long-term evidence for how diet can influence the aging brain.

The project began in the 1980s with support from the National Institute on Aging and followed two groups throughout their natural lifespans—one on a standard diet and one on a calorie-restricted diet. After death, researchers analysed brain tissue to understand how reduced calorie intake affected cellular aging. The work focused particularly on microglia, myelin-producing processes, and metabolic health within brain cells, all of which typically decline with age.

Using single-nuclei RNA sequencing, the team found that brains from the calorie-restricted group showed healthier metabolic profiles, better maintenance of myelin-related genes, and boosted activity in pathways that support myelin production. These cellular improvements suggest that eating fewer calories may help preserve white matter integrity and reduce harmful inflammatory states that contribute to cognitive decline.

The findings reinforce the idea that long-term dietary habits can shape how the brain ages. According to the authors, sustained calorie restriction could potentially support healthier cognition and learning later in life, although more research is needed to understand how these results translate to humans.