Cutting calories helps preserve the function of mitochondria that provide energy for the cells as we become older

Jul 10, 2006 08:54 GMT  ·  By

Scientists at the University in Calgary state that eating less and cutting therefore calories and waste in foods helps not only to be thinner and have a trim waistline. Cutting on food and being on a healthy diet helps one stay younger and good-looking.

Of course, this does not mean that we should abruptly reduce the amount of food we usually eat. Halving the quantity of food we consume is not the solution: instead, we should try to avoid unhealthy food and keep to natural, rich in vitamins and minerals meals.

Medical experts at the Calgary University carried out studies on rats and came to the conclusion that the older rats that were put to a calorie-restricted diet reduced their muscle mass with only 20% , while the muscle functions remained the same.

Physiologist Russ Hepple, leader of the study, said about the older rats that went through a very drastic diet: "It's the equivalent of an 80-year-old rat with the muscles of a 20-year-old rat. If you can think of an 80-year-old still being able to go out and have as active a lifestyle as someone in their early 20s, when they're considered largely to be in the prime of their life, I think that's a very attractive thought."

The scientists explained why reducing foods laden with calories is a beneficial act for our health and is advisable to be implemented by all humans: cutting calories preserve the function of mitochondria that provide body's cells with energy as we age. This has positive effects upon the muscular tissues that are quickly repaired or replaced when damaged.