> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.foodconsumer.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Calorie restriction, plant polyphenols extend lifespan - URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/calorie_restriction_plant_polyphenols_0830120714/ - Published: 2012-08-30T08:11:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T16:09:16.000Z - Description: Mice on alternate-day feeding outlived controls, and those also given blueberry, pomegranate and green tea extracts outlived the calorie-restricted group. In the brain, the plant polyphenols lowered inflammatory gene expression and p38 MAPK phosphorylation. - Author: Food Consumer - Tags: Diet, Nutrition, #vivvo-import By David Liu, PHD Thursday Aug 30, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- Calorie restriction is known to extend lifespan in many animals. A new study in Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease suggests that taking antioxidants plant extracts high in polyphenols may potentiate the life-extending effect of calorie restriction. Calorie restriction can not only extend lifespan - many people who live over 100 years often eat less than most people, but also protect against a series aging-related chronic diseases including cancer. Antioxidant plant extracts rich in polyphenosls have been already known to increase lifespan or increase longevity, according to the authors of the study. Daniel J. Aires of University of Kansas in Kansas and colleagues wanted to demonstrate that calorie restriction together with supplementation of antioxidant plant extracts are more effective than calorie restriction alone in extending lifespan in mice. For the study, three groups of twenty week old C57BL/6 mice were assigned to use one of the three diets, normal diet as control, alternate day feeding or intermittent feeding(calorie restriction) or intermittent feeding plus supplementation of blueberry, pomegranate and green tea extracts. Both groups on the calorie restricted diets outlived the control group and the group on the calorie restricted diet with supplementation of plant polyphenols outlived the mice on the diet with calories restricted alone. The researchers found that in the brain, calorie restriction induced paradoxically and plant polyphenols reduced the expression of inflammatory genes and p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Infammatory gene expression produces inflammatory cytokines and stress, which trigger p38 MAPK phosphorylation, something seen commonly in the aging process. The researchers explained that "while IF (intermittent feeding or calorie restriction) overall promotes longevity, some aspects of IF-induced stress may paradoxically lessen this effect. Polyphenol compounds, in turn, may potentiate IF-induced longevity by minimizing specific components of IF-induced cell stress." The study suggests that a person who wants to live longer than the average lifespan, he may not only need calorie restriction, but also eat a good quality diet with sufficient all nutrients such as polyphenols used in the study. Another study recently released in Nature suggests that calorie restriction does not extend lifespan in monkeys even though it delays the onset of many age-related chronic diseases. This study seems to discourage people to pursue calorie restriction. But from the first study, the question needs to be asked is, what type of diet did the monkeys use? Calorie restriction is something that the food industry and food service industry do not want to see consumers to practice. Suppose that everyone ate only two thirds of the recommended calories per day, the industry would lose one third of revenue! The fact that calorie restriction extends life does not need "science" to back it up. It seems logical for this practice to work. A car has a definite lifespan. Keeping the engine running, but the car motionless, accelerates the "aging process" for the car. The car is surely to die earlier than expected. The real question one needs to ask is, how much calories does a person need to cut in order to have a best lifespan extending effect? No one has known this yet.