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Caloric Restriction Linked to Slower Biological Aging in Adults

lite News Desk 2 min read

At a glance

  • The CALERIE trial studied caloric restriction in healthy adults aged 21-50
  • Participants reduced calorie intake by about 12% for two years
  • Biological aging slowed by 2-3% during the intervention period

Recent research has examined the effects of moderate caloric restriction on biological aging in healthy, non-obese adults. The findings are based on data from the CALERIE randomized controlled trial, which tracked participants over a two-year period.

The CALERIE trial assigned adults between the ages of approximately 21 and 50 to either a group that reduced their daily caloric intake or a group that continued with their usual eating habits. The study was designed to assess whether caloric restriction could influence biological markers of aging in people who were not obese.

Participants in the caloric restriction group lowered their daily calorie consumption by an average of 12%. Over the course of the two-year study, these individuals maintained a body weight reduction of about 10% compared to their starting weight.

At the beginning of the trial, the average biological age of participants was slightly less than their chronological age, with a mean chronological age of around 38 years and a mean biological age of about 37 years. Researchers used established biological age measurement methods to track changes throughout the study period.

What the numbers show

  • Caloric intake was reduced by approximately 12% in the intervention group
  • Participants maintained about a 10% loss in body weight over two years
  • The pace of biological aging slowed by 2-3% as measured by DNA methylation clocks

Analysis of the data showed that individuals in the caloric restriction group experienced a slower rate of increase in biological age, as measured by the Klemera-Doubal Method, compared to those who ate without restrictions. This effect was observed across the two-year follow-up period.

Further examination indicated that the reduction in the pace of biological aging was not solely due to weight loss. The slowed aging effect was identified as independent of the amount of weight lost during the intervention.

A secondary analysis conducted in 2026 reviewed organ-specific biological ages and found that caloric restriction helped limit increases in biological age for metabolic and cardiovascular systems over both 12 and 24 months. These findings suggest that caloric restriction may influence multiple aspects of biological aging in healthy adults.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.

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