Radical intermittent fasting, calorie-restricted diet extends life in mice. Could it work in humans too?

Limiting the diets of mice, and restricting feeding to a three-hour daily window, is linked to improved metabolism and a longer life, researchers have found

If the findings apply to people, those already cutting their daily calorie count by 20 or 30 per cent may want to add intermittent fasting to the mix

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Researchers looking at mice on different diets found those who were fed fewer calories in a single daily feeding lived longer than mice eating the same number of calories throughout the day. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 10:15pm, 20 Oct 2021Updated: 5:38pm, 28 Oct 2021

Eating less often does more to improve the health and lifespan of rodents than simply eating less, a study said on October 18.

Researchers looking at mice on different diets found those who were fed fewer calories in a single daily feeding lived longer than mice eating the same number of calories distributed throughout the day.

The study, published in online journal Nature Metabolism, showed mice who ate only once a day also showed improved metabolism.

Study author Dudley Lamming of the University of Wisconsin in the US said that scientists have known for about a century that restricting calories extends rodents’ lifespan.

But previous studies on mice and calorie restriction had included unintentional fasting with mice typically fed just once a day.

Lamming’s team decided to find out whether the timing between feedings might play a role – and discovered it was not the quantity of food alone that mattered.