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CNN Live At Daybreak
Can Cutting Back on Food Help Us Find Fountain of Youth?
Aired December 10, 2002 - 06:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We know that not going overboard eating calories can help prevent us from becoming overweight. But can cutting back on the food we eat help us find the fountain of youth?
Joining us now from New York is nutritionist Lisa Drayer.
Wow, that sounds good.
So, Lisa, you're telling us that if we eat less, we can live longer.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Well, Carol, that's what research is suggesting. The latest studies suggest that eating less food leads to decreased levels of an enzyme known as RPD3. And this is associated with increased life span in fruit flies, which have genes that are similar to mammals. But...
COSTELLO: Wow, fruit flies are similar to mammals?
DRAYER: Their genes are similar. But there are a lot of theories.
The important thing to note, however, is that the goal of the research is to develop drugs that will fight the aging process. No one is telling us to go ahead and start starving ourselves in the hopes of living longer. But these drugs are a long way off.
COSTELLO: Yes, and you're not talking about just eating less things like potato chips and stuff. You have to eat less of those things, but you also have to eat some of the right things. And you have some tips for us.
DRAYER: Exactly. And the first one is to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in the diet. The reason is fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and plant chemicals that can help protect us against age related diseases such as heart disease, cancer and even macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in older Americans.
Also include three servings of calcium rich foods each day. This will help us lead a longer life because including calcium in our diet protects us against osteoporosis and brittle bones, which can lead to fractures as we age.
COSTELLO: And do you have another tip there?
DRAYER: Absolutely. Also important to limit the calories, because, as we mentioned, gaining weight is not a great thing. The reason is we become insulin resistant, meaning we can have trouble metabolizing sugar and this can lead to diabetes, which is often diagnosed in adulthood.
And last but not least, it always helps to exercise. I know we've heard it before, but can't say it enough. But the reason is exercise can help to boost our immune system and also strengthen our bones.
COSTELLO: Got you.
DRAYER: And decrease stress, all of which can lead to a longer life.
COSTELLO: And it's absolutely true. I loved exercise. It really improved -- it does. It improves your mood. It does so many things for you.
DRAYER: Your mood. It's the magic bullet.
COSTELLO: OK, so you said, OK, so we're going to like obey your tips but we have to eat less overall to make us live longer.
DRAYER: Not starve.
COSTELLO: So how many calories do you suggest we eat?
DRAYER: Well, you know, you never want to go below 1,200 calories. And this is the key. The researchers are not suggesting that we cut back as low as some of the levels that would be needed. You know, if you're cutting back as much as 40 percent, this translates to about 900 calories if you're already following a 1,500 calorie diet. Not a good idea. So never go below 1,200 calories. This can cause us to become deficient in certain nutrients. So we don't want to go below this number.
COSTELLO: You know, you always say 1,200 calories, but I have no clue how much food equals 1,200 calories. Nor can I envision myself measuring food every day.
DRAYER: Right. Well, the key is always keeping a food budget and so if you know that, you know, your starches, you're having half a cup of cereal, for example, that translates to 100 calories, and then you can build a budget throughout the day so every day you know that you can keep within a calorie range that will keep you healthy and prevent you from gaining weight.
COSTELLO: OK, Lisa, we'll take your advice.
Thank you very much.
DRAYER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 10, 2002 - 06:21 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: We know that not going overboard eating calories can help prevent us from becoming overweight. But can cutting back on the food we eat help us find the fountain of youth?
Joining us now from New York is nutritionist Lisa Drayer.
Wow, that sounds good.
So, Lisa, you're telling us that if we eat less, we can live longer.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Well, Carol, that's what research is suggesting. The latest studies suggest that eating less food leads to decreased levels of an enzyme known as RPD3. And this is associated with increased life span in fruit flies, which have genes that are similar to mammals. But...
COSTELLO: Wow, fruit flies are similar to mammals?
DRAYER: Their genes are similar. But there are a lot of theories.
The important thing to note, however, is that the goal of the research is to develop drugs that will fight the aging process. No one is telling us to go ahead and start starving ourselves in the hopes of living longer. But these drugs are a long way off.
COSTELLO: Yes, and you're not talking about just eating less things like potato chips and stuff. You have to eat less of those things, but you also have to eat some of the right things. And you have some tips for us.
DRAYER: Exactly. And the first one is to include plenty of fruits and vegetables in the diet. The reason is fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and plant chemicals that can help protect us against age related diseases such as heart disease, cancer and even macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in older Americans.
Also include three servings of calcium rich foods each day. This will help us lead a longer life because including calcium in our diet protects us against osteoporosis and brittle bones, which can lead to fractures as we age.
COSTELLO: And do you have another tip there?
DRAYER: Absolutely. Also important to limit the calories, because, as we mentioned, gaining weight is not a great thing. The reason is we become insulin resistant, meaning we can have trouble metabolizing sugar and this can lead to diabetes, which is often diagnosed in adulthood.
And last but not least, it always helps to exercise. I know we've heard it before, but can't say it enough. But the reason is exercise can help to boost our immune system and also strengthen our bones.
COSTELLO: Got you.
DRAYER: And decrease stress, all of which can lead to a longer life.
COSTELLO: And it's absolutely true. I loved exercise. It really improved -- it does. It improves your mood. It does so many things for you.
DRAYER: Your mood. It's the magic bullet.
COSTELLO: OK, so you said, OK, so we're going to like obey your tips but we have to eat less overall to make us live longer.
DRAYER: Not starve.
COSTELLO: So how many calories do you suggest we eat?
DRAYER: Well, you know, you never want to go below 1,200 calories. And this is the key. The researchers are not suggesting that we cut back as low as some of the levels that would be needed. You know, if you're cutting back as much as 40 percent, this translates to about 900 calories if you're already following a 1,500 calorie diet. Not a good idea. So never go below 1,200 calories. This can cause us to become deficient in certain nutrients. So we don't want to go below this number.
COSTELLO: You know, you always say 1,200 calories, but I have no clue how much food equals 1,200 calories. Nor can I envision myself measuring food every day.
DRAYER: Right. Well, the key is always keeping a food budget and so if you know that, you know, your starches, you're having half a cup of cereal, for example, that translates to 100 calories, and then you can build a budget throughout the day so every day you know that you can keep within a calorie range that will keep you healthy and prevent you from gaining weight.
COSTELLO: OK, Lisa, we'll take your advice.
Thank you very much.
DRAYER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
