How might caloric restriction slow down aging processes?

• Animal studies suggest that restricting calories may prolong life, and there is some evidence of a similar effect in people, but experts do not yet understand exactly why.
• Telomeres are sections at the end of chromosomes that shorten as cells age, and a new study has investigated whether caloric restriction might slow this process and, therefore, the rate of cell aging.
• In the study, people on restricted calories lost more telomere length initially, but the shortening then slowed.
• The researchers plan to follow up participants after 10 years to investigate whether prolonged caloric restriction slows telomere shortening further.

It is well known that diet and exercise affect health, and research suggests that it can also affect the speed and progression of aging. Primary aging is the innate process that all people experience; secondary aging is the acceleration of the aging process by excess food intake, lack of exercise, and disease.

It is this secondary aging that may be affected by diet, and studies in animals have found that restricting calorie intake can slow the process, reduce disease, and prolong life.

Although several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this effect, there is no firm evidence showing why caloric restriction might prolong life.