Small Calorie Cut May Boost Cancer
Protection
March 15, 2005
Intermittent fasting shows benefits previously
found with severe caloric restriction
A small reduction in calories may have a big impact
on cancer prevention, a link previously only shown conclusively
in animals on severely calorie restricted diets.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley
have shown that mice given just 5% fewer calories than
mice eating freely had a significant reduction in cell
proliferation, an indicator of cancer risk.
The mice were fed intermittently, three days a week.
"Cell proliferation is really the key to the modern
epidemic of cancer," says Marc Hellerstein of Berkeley.
Normally cells try to fix damage that occurs to DNA,
says Hellerstein, but if cells divide before they can
fix the damage it becomes a mutation in cell offspring.
"Slowing down the rate of cell proliferation essentially
buys time for the cells to repair genetic damage,"
says Hellerstein.
More achievable
While studies over the past 70 years have shown that
substantial calorie reduction can reduce the rate of
cell proliferation and extend lifespan, intermittent
fasting may be more achievable for most people.
Hellerstein and colleagues examined its effects on
cell proliferation in several trials comparing intermittently
fasting mice with mice that ate freely and mice that
ate 33% fewer calories.
Trial periods ranged from two weeks to three months.
The researchers found that mice on the 33% reduced
calorie diet had significantly decreased proliferation
rates for skin, breast and T cells. After one month—the
greatest effect seen—the proliferation rate in
skin cells was just 61% of that in mice that ate freely.
Intermittently fasting mice also saw benefit, however,
with skin cell division rates 81% of those for mice
fed freely.
A 5% reduction in calories in mice is equal to about
100 calories a day in humans, says Hellerstein.
Source:www.betterhumans.com
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