Calorie restriction has been regarded as the only experimental regimen that can effectively lengthen lifespan in various animal models, but the actual mechanism remains controversial. The gut microbiota has been shown to have a pivotal role in host health, and its structure is mostly shaped by diet. Here we show that life-long calorie restriction on both high-fat or low-fat diet, but not volunt...

Similar to drugs of abuse, the hedonic value of food is mediated, at least in part, by the mesostriatal dopamine (DA) system. Prolonged intake of either high calorie diets or drugs of abuse both lead to a blunting of the DA system. Most studies have focused on DAergic alterations in the striatum, but little is known about the effects of high calorie diets on ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neur...

We investigated the correlations between the reduction in body weight (BW) induced by calorie restriction and reductions in blood pressure (BP) and improvement in metabolic disorders in overweight women with essential hypertension. After eating a standard diet (diet-I) for 2 weeks, women in the calorie-restricted group (n = 25) received a low calorie diet for 2 weeks, and then standard diet-II ...

BACKGROUND Calorie restriction (CR) and endurance exercise are known to attenuate obesity and improve the metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to directly compare the effects of CR and endurance exercise in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. METHODS Adult male C57BL/6N mice were randomly assigned and subjected to one of the six interventions for 8 weeks: lo...

BACKGROUND Western diets, obesity, and sedentary lifestyles are associated with increased cancer risk. The mechanisms responsible for this increased risk, however, are not clear. OBJECTIVE We hypothesized that long-term low protein, low calorie intake and endurance exercise are associated with low concentrations of plasma growth factors and hormones that are linked to an increased risk of can...

Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are closely linked to obesity. Numerous prospective studies have reported on weight gain, insulin resistance, and insulin signaling in experimental animals, but not in humans. We examined insulin signaling in adipocytes from lean volunteers, before and at the end of a 4-wk period of consuming a fast-food, high-calorie diet that led to weight gain. We...

Background: In addition to reducing body weight, the low-calorie diets can reduce the lean body mass. It is hypothesized that in addition to reducing the body weight, the low-calorie diets can maintain the lean body mass. So, the current study aimed at evaluating the effects of high-protein diet with calorie restriction on body composition in overweight and obese individuals. Methods: 36 obese ...

It is generally recognized that nitrogen balance is influenced by the energy content of the diet. Many workers have noted the sparing action of energy-rich foods on protein utilization. Bosshardt & Barnes (1946) showed that protein utilization by growing rats and mice increased with calorie intake when the animals were given isocaloric diets ad lib. Among other reports giving evidence of the pr...