Why didn't eating less make these fish live longer?
Neither caloric nor protein restriction increases the male lifespan of outbred short-lived fish
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists fed fish three ways: lots of protein, less protein but same calories, or half the food. They expected less eating to make them live longer — like in other lab animals — but it didn't.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 518 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Scientists fed fish three ways: lots of protein, less protein but same calories, or half the food. They expected less eating to make them live longer — like in other lab animals — but it didn't.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 518 / 72
Evidence Score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
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Claims (4)
Reducing calorie intake in laboratory animals results in a longer lifespan.
In male Nothobranchius furzeri fish with genetic diversity, reducing food intake by feeding less often and in smaller portions does not increase lifespan, unlike in genetically uniform fish where skipping meals extended lifespan, indicating that how food is restricted matters more than how much is reduced.
In the fish species Nothobranchius furzeri, populations with greater genetic variation show less lifespan extension from dietary restriction than genetically uniform populations, indicating that genetic differences directly influence how dietary interventions affect aging.
In genetically diverse male killifish, reducing calorie or protein intake does not increase lifespan, even though it slows growth and changes body composition.