Eating fewer calories might help your body handle a not-so-great diet better by boosting its ability to stay healthy metabolically.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (2)
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Caloric restriction in humans reveals immunometabolic regulators of health span
The study shows that eating fewer calories for two years improved immune and metabolic health in people, which supports the idea that eating less can help the body stay healthy even if the food isn’t perfect.
Calorie restriction mitigates metabolic, behavioral and neurochemical effects of cafeteria diet in aged male rats.
The study shows that cutting calories helped older rats stay healthier even after eating junk food, which supports the idea that eating less can protect against the harms of a bad diet.
Contradicting (1)
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The Influence of Dietary Fat Source on Life Span in Calorie Restricted Mice.
The study found that even when mice ate fewer calories, the type of fat in their diet still affected how long they lived—meaning the quality of food matters, even when eating less.
Gold Standard Evidence Needed
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