Wang Anyongqi, Speakman John Roger
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Beijing Life Science Academy, Beijing, China.
Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2025 Apr 17. doi: 10.1038/s41574-025-01111-1.
Although the potential benefits of calorie restriction on human lifespan remain uncertain, it is currently one of the most extensively researched non-genetic approaches to extending both lifespan and healthspan in animals. Calorie restriction offers numerous health benefits, including a reduced incidence of age-related diseases. However, calorie restriction also produces a range of negative effects, which are not fully documented and require further investigation, particularly in humans. As the viability of calorie restriction in humans will depend on the balance of benefits and detrimental effects, it is crucial to understand the nature of these negative effects and what drives them. In this Review, we summarize the effects of calorie restriction on wound healing, hunger, cold sensitivity, bone health, brain size, cognition, reproductive performance and infection, primarily based on studies of rodents with some data from other species and from humans. Overall, the detrimental effects of calorie restriction seem to stem directly from prioritization of vital functions and downregulation or suppression of energy-demanding processes, which helps preserve survival but can also lead to impaired physiological performance and increased vulnerability to stressors. The exact mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Whether it might be possible to engage in calorie restriction but avoid these negative effects remains uncertain.
尽管热量限制对人类寿命的潜在益处仍不明确，但它目前是动物界中为延长寿命和健康寿命而开展的最广泛研究的非基因方法之一。热量限制带来诸多健康益处，包括与年龄相关疾病的发病率降低。然而，热量限制也会产生一系列负面影响，这些影响尚未得到充分记录，需要进一步研究，尤其是在人类身上。由于热量限制在人类中的可行性将取决于益处与有害影响之间的平衡，了解这些负面影响的本质及其产生原因至关重要。在本综述中，我们主要基于对啮齿动物的研究，并结合来自其他物种和人类的一些数据，总结了热量限制对伤口愈合、饥饿、冷敏感性、骨骼健康、脑容量、认知、生殖性能和感染的影响。总体而言，热量限制的有害影响似乎直接源于对重要功能的优先考虑以及对高能量需求过程的下调或抑制，这有助于维持生存，但也可能导致生理性能受损以及对压力源的易感性增加。这些影响背后的确切机制仍不清楚。是否有可能进行热量限制但避免这些负面影响仍不确定。
