{"id":27436,"date":"2026-08-04T15:29:35","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T10:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27436"},"modified":"2026-08-04T15:29:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T10:29:35","slug":"living-longer-could-hinge-on-one-surprising-dietary-change-study-review-suggests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=27436","title":{"rendered":"Living longer could hinge on one surprising dietary change, study review suggests"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F08%2F136427166.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Eating less protein, not cutting calories, may be an easier path to a longer,\u00a0healthier life\u00a0for sedentary adults, according to a new scientific review.<\/p>\n<p>While previous research has long tied calorie restriction to\u00a0improved lifespan\u00a0and lower rates of age-related disease, studies have found that many people have difficulty maintaining strict low-calorie diets.<\/p>\n<p>A review of more than 350 studies published in the journal Cell Press Blue suggests that targeted protein restriction can deliver similar metabolic benefits without the need to cut calories.<\/p>\n<p>Across the reviewed studies, lower protein intake was associated with better metabolism, altered nutrient signaling, reduced cellular damage and improved cellular maintenance, according to the published review.<\/p>\n<p>Much of the benefit stems from a metabolic hormone known as fibroblast growth factor 21, or FGF21. Restricting protein triggers a surge in FGF21, which\u00a0animal studies\u00a0have shown can boost energy expenditure, reduce inflammation, improve blood sugar control and extend lifespan.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Eating less protein, not cutting calories, may be an easier path to a longer,\u00a0healthier life\u00a0for sedentary adults, according to a new scientific review. <span class=\"credit\">Achmad Agus Ilyas \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Researchers highlighted three essential amino acids that are building blocks of protein \u2014 methionine, isoleucine and valine. Under certain conditions, they may contribute to biological pathways associated with aging under certain conditions.<\/p>\n<p>For people who don\u2019t exercise regularly, high levels of these amino acids may keep certain growth-related processes constantly active. Over time, that stimulation can create cellular damage, systemic inflammation and\u00a0weight gain.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely crystal-clear that there are benefits of protein for muscle growth and exercise response of\u00a0active individuals,\u201d said Dudley Lamming, the paper\u2019s corresponding author and a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>A review of more than 350 studies published in the journal Cell Press Blue suggests that targeted protein restriction can deliver similar metabolic benefits without the need to cut calories. <span class=\"credit\">mizina \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cBut because most people are relatively sedentary, many people are likely consuming\u00a0more protein\u00a0than they actually need, which probably has negative health consequences,\u201d he added in the press release.<\/p>\n<p>There were some limitations to the study findings. Because the paper is a scientific review rather than a new clinical trial, it identifies patterns across existing research but cannot establish cause and effect in humans, the researchers acknowledged.<\/p>\n<p>Longer-term human studies are still needed to determine whether these metabolic benefits ultimately translate into increased lifespan, they noted.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Restricting protein triggers a surge in FGF21, which\u00a0animal studies\u00a0have shown can boost energy expenditure, reduce inflammation, improve blood sugar control and extend lifespan. <span class=\"credit\">Drazen \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>For people who don\u2019t exercise regularly, high levels of these amino acids may keep certain growth-related processes constantly active. <span class=\"credit\">Roman \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The review emphasizes that protein needs are not one-size-fits-all, and that the findings should not be interpreted as a recommendation to consume inadequate amounts.<\/p>\n<p>Physically active people and athletes process protein differently.\u00a0Exercise\u00a0helps to direct dietary amino acids toward building and repairing muscle instead of leaving excess amino acids to be processed by the body, the researchers noted.<\/p>\n<p>High protein intake is also crucial for pregnant women and\u00a0older adults\u00a0who may face age-related muscle loss.<\/p>\n<p>For the broader, largely inactive population, the findings suggest that public health guidelines should move away from sweeping recommendations and instead tailor protein targets to a person\u2019s age and activity level.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eating less protein, not cutting calories, may be an easier path to a longer,\u00a0healthier life\u00a0for sedentary adults, according to a new scientific review. While previous research has long tied calorie restriction to\u00a0improved lifespan\u00a0and lower rates of age-related disease, studies have found that many people have difficulty maintaining strict low-calorie diets. A review of more than&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/136427166.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27436","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-hub"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27436","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27436"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27436\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27436"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27436"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27436"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}