Can a restricted diet slow aging?

Some scientists think that eating significantly fewer calories could increase a person's lifespan by about four or five years. Studies show that eliminating up to 30 percent of daily calories while still consuming all necessary nutrients can cause mice, fruit flies and other animals to have longer lifespan. There have been no formal studies in humans; however, in Japan after World Wars I and II, when food supplies were slim, fewer people died from coronary artery disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer and other aging-related diseases. There are drawbacks to eating less, such as loss of libido, loss of memory and muscle mass, and cessation of menstrual periods.

Caloric restriction is the term which is used to refer to restrictions in caloric intake in individuals.  This means that an individual will restrict the amount of calories they consume on a daily basis. It can also mean that they restrict themselves to eat at only certain times of the day in order to reduce the amount of caloric intake.

CR has been proven to protect a cell against damage, as it reduces the amount of energy absorbed and causes an optimization of the metabolic processes and therefore influences that genetic makeup of a cell. Accordingly, CR can help aid in the increase of growth hormones, while simultaneously reducing insulin and cortisol levels, as well as altering the modification of genes associated with aging.