According to a new research, low-calorie food may protect against some diseases. The researchers claimed that whatever a person eats directly influences the cell function. When a person consumes low-calorie food, it provides a protective effect against diseases.
The study was conducted on mice which showed the performance of various cells after consumption of low-calorie food. After the study, it was concluded that a low-calorie diet can protect the brain. It showed protection of the brain from neuronal cell death, which can be caused by diseases like epilepsy, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cerebral vascular accident (CVA).
The study was presented at the FAPESP Week London, which is taking place on February 11-13. For the study, the team of the researchers divided all the mice into two groups.
“We are looking at how changes to the diet affect metabolism and how that ends up changing the odds of having diseases associated with ageing,” said co-author Alicia Kowaltowski, Professor at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil.
The researchers calculated the average number of calories each group consumed. One of the two groups was not any restriction on calorie consumption. Whereas the other group was given 40 percent fewer calories.
After 40 weeks, mice of both the groups were given an injection containing a substance known to cause seizures, damage and neuronal cell death.
After giving the injection the study concluded that the group that had no dietary restriction had seizers. But those with restricted calorie consumption did not.