Aligning mealtimes to live longer

Calorie restriction, fasting, and circadian rhythms sync together for a long, healthy life in mice

Calorie restriction (CR) involves chronic reduction of energy intake by 20 to 40% without inducing malnutrition. CR extends life span in multiple animal models and reduces the risk of age-associated disorders, most of which arise from metabolic dysfunction and inflammation.

However, extended daily fasting or aligning daily meal timing to the active period, even without reducing energy intake, can also improve health and increase life span in model organisms.

Acosta-Rodríguez et al. reveal the specific contribution of fasting and timing of calorie-reduced meals to the efficacy of CR, as estimated by life-span extension in male mice.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adc8824