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What Are the Benefits of a Low-Calorie Diet?
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Overview
What Are the Benefits of a Low-Calorie Diet?
Low-calorie diets can be divided into two categories: traditional low-calorie diets, which average 1,000 to 1,500 calories per day, and "very low calorie diets" or VLCDs, in which dieters consume a maximum of 800 calories per day. Low-calorie diets can be a temporary diet or a lifestyle choice, and VLCDs are often prescribed by a physician for obese patients. Calorie restriction is becoming a lifestyle choice for people who believe it prevents aging.
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Scientific Research
A 2009 study by University of Wisconsin researchers found that rhesus monkeys that had their calorie consumption lowered by 30 percent, had fewer age-related health issues. This 20-year study found that monkeys who consumed a normal diet had more health problems, such as cardiac disease and cancer, than monkeys on the calorie-restricted diet. There was also less brain deterioration in the monkeys on the calorie-restricted diet.
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Low-Calorie Diet
The typical low-calorie diet is generally defined as a diet that has a caloric reduction of 500. For the average woman, a low-calorie diet would consist of a daily intake of 1200 calories. Frequent exercise is usually prescribed along with calorie restriction to encourage weight loss.
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Very Low Calorie Diet
A Very Low Calorie Diets, or VLCD, usually refers to a weight-loss plan prescribed by a physician for obese patients. VLCDs are done under medical supervision, and they are usually only recommended for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of over 30. VLCDs types vary: some are liquid diets; others consist of low-calorie foods.
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Fasting and Detoxification Diets
Fast and detoxification diets such as the Master Cleanse, the diet in which followers only ingest a mixture of lemon juice, maple syrup and water for 10 days, are popular VLCDs. Because these fasts are generally done without medical supervision, experts caution that dieters have a high chance of suffering from electrolyte imbalance, vitamin deficiencies and digestive upset.
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The Calorie Restriction Society
The Calorie Restriction (CR) Society is a group that promotes a low-calorie, high-nutrition lifestyle. The CR Society claims that calorie restriction is "the only proven life-extension method known to modern science." Members of the CR Society pursue a restricted calorie lifestyle in order to delay the aging process, and they do not see weight loss as the goal. The CR Society recommends eating low-calorie high-density foods (mostly fruits and vegetables), and eating foods that are raw or lightly cooked in order to preserve their nutritional value.
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Warning
Diets of less than 1,000 calories per day may slow a person's metabolism. Other negative side effects of extreme calorie reduction include anemia, osteoporosis and muscle loss.
