What do olive oil or garlic have to do with CR?

June 11, 2005

There are logical answers to that question, . As you decrease

nutrition to the minimum that can sustain life through caloric

restriction, you have to make sure that you eat everything that is

critical to maintain a healthy body. Let us say that the minimum

number of calories with which you could thrive is a 1200-calorie

optimally balanced diet. If you were to change the proportion of

protein, fat, or carbohydrate, or any particular components of that

diet without increasing the calories, the diet would no longer provide

all the necessary nutrients and you would not be able to thrive on it.

Instead of living longer, you would be setting yourself up for

malnutrition and an early death.

We try not to strive for the maximum caloric restriction because

although we have many signs that CR provides many benefits, there is

no definitive answer as to what is the right level of CR or what

constitutes an optimal diet. Since our diets are not at the minimum

to sustain life, there is enough safety margin in the level of our

nutrients. Strictly speaking, there is no need to talk about olive

oil or garlic, but given that these foods may have some documented

benefits for health and/or longevity, they are relevant to our quest

for longer life. The goal is not Caloric Restriction per se, but

longevity. Although the two goals are related, they are not the same

thing.

Tony

==

From: Albaugh <albaughg@...>

Date: Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:31 pm

Subject: Re: [ ] Re: Olive Oil?

A small amount of fat greatly improves the bioavailability of most fat

soluble vitamins and phytonutrients. As most members of this group

appreciate, the quality of the fat is important. Olive oil in rich in

MUFAs and so is a good choice as a solvent for such fat soluble

nutrients as Vit A, various carotenoids. etc. And while this is an

important topic, my question about this thread as well as the earlier

thread addressing the ins and outs of garlic is: What do these topics

have to do with dietary restriction, calorie restriction or

intermittent fasting???

Sincerely,

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