It’s important to watch what we eat. But research suggests that it’s also important to watch how much we eat, too. The NIH’s National Institute on Aging supported a study called CALERIE, Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy, to explore the outcomes of eating a reduced-calorie diet. The study’s participants were “healthy, non-obese adults ages 25 to 45.” Half of the participants continued their normal diets and half were trained by an “expert team of psychologists and dietitians to restrict calories through specific strategies, such as eating smaller servings of food.” The results showed that reducing calorie intake for 2 years reduced the risk of age-related cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
The study was recently re-examined to find that “calorie restriction may improve immune function and reduce chronic inflammation.” As we age, our thymus, which is a key part of the immune system, begins to get smaller. However, the people who reduced calorie intake had an increase in their thymus volume, leading to an increase in “new T cell production.”
https://directorsblog.nih.gov/2022/03/08/biology-of-aging-study-shows-why-curbing-calories-counts/