25.04.2005
Long known to extend lifespan in laboratory animals on it from birth, a reduced calorie diet could also have benefits if begun in middle age. A British study on fruit flies has found that those on a calorie restricted diet live twice as long -- to 90 days -- as those on a normal diet. Research on every animal species so far supports this finding, but what's new is that the study also examined heavy eating fruit flies that were switched to a calorie restricted diet at middle age -- 14 to 22 days. The flies moved towards the longer lifespan of their counterparts that had been on a reduced calorie diet from birth. Researcher Linda Partridge of University College London says that the message from the study is that it is never too late to reap the benefits of better dietary habits.