Study reveals surprising telomere loss patterns in calorie restricted humans

Key points from article :

Penn State researchers examined how calorie restriction affected telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes.

Telomeres shorten each time a cell replicates, and shorter telomeres are linked to cellular aging.

“When a person’s cells consume less energy due to caloric restriction, the cell does not break down as quickly,” - Waylon Hastings, lead author.

The study involved 175 participants; two-thirds restricted calories, one-third served as a control.

The calorie restriction group lost telomeres faster in year one and slower in year two.

By the end of the study, both groups had similar telomere lengths.

Researchers hypothesized calorie restriction to slow telomere loss throughout, but results were surprising.

The study suggests calorie restriction may have other health benefits despite ambiguous telomere results.

Study co-authored by Daniel Belsky, published in the journal Aging Cell.