The United States population is aging rapidly, and understanding the potential impact and feasibility of lifestyle interventions on the aging process is of central importance for addressing future population health and health care costs. This symposium addressed the question of whether caloric restriction may be a feasible strategy to improve human health by reductions in rates of primary and s...

Ageing causes loss of function in tissues and organs, is accompanied by a chronic inflammatory process and affects life- and healthspan. Calorie restriction (CR) is a non-genetic intervention that prevents age-associated diseases and extends longevity in most of the animal models studied so far. CR produces a pleiotropic effect and improves multiple metabolic pathways, generating benefits to th...

In the 75 years since the seminal observation of Clive McCay that restriction of calorie intake extends the lifespan of rats, a great deal has been learned about the effects of calorie restriction (CR; reduced intake of a nutritious diet) on aging in various short-lived animal models. Studies have demonstrated many beneficial effects of CR on health, the rate of aging, and longevity. Two prospe...

discovery of potential anti-aging treatment capable of extending both our healthy aging and perhaps our longevity resuscitated an old human dream. It also brought about inordinate interest in these studies. While calorie restriction (CR) is still the best known intervention to increase life span, anti-aging molecules could mimic this effect without reducing nutrient intake. Such compounds, like...