The decline in the functioning of the heart with the progress of age can be postponed by going in for a low calorie diet.
The decline in the functioning of the heart with the progress of age can be postponed by going in for a low calorie diet, according to a study which the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has published. This is the first ever study which goes to show that primary aging can be delayed by restricting calories in human beings, according to researcher Dr Luigi Fontana.
This fact has already been proved in the case of small mammals. As many as 25 healthy adults were assessed at the Washington University. Particular attention was paid to diastolic function. The restricted diet was comprised of 1,670 calories everyday which was comprised of 28% fat, complex carbohydrates amounting to 49%, and protein amounting to 23%. As much as 2,445 calories were comprised of in the typical Western diet, with a 17% protein content, 31% fat, and 52% carbohydrates.The calorie-restricted diet was lower in salt content when compared to the Western diet. The diastolic function declines as a person gets older, and a restricted calorie diet serves to counteract this. The aging mechanism can now be modified as it is now being properly defined. Cardiac aging is in effect restricted by a low calorie diet, as it has been proved by the six-year experiment, which included a traditional Mediterranean diet comprised of fruit, vegetables, fish, beans, whole grains, and olive oil. An ultrasound imaging equipment was used by the researchers to find out the elasticity of the hearts of the people who participated in the experiment.
