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| Scientists claim that vitamins may not be the key to a longer and healthier life |
Fasting could increase life expectancy by almost ONE THIRD, according to experts.
The number of people living to 100 or more may even PLUMMET if people do not start restricting the amount of calories they consume.
Tilo Kunath, a specialist at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Regenerative Medicine gave the stark warning at the British Science Festival at Bradford University today.
He said: "The only scientifically-proven way to extend the longevity of mammals is calorific restriction.
"Reducing the amount they eat.
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| Tilo Kunath |
"Tests on mammals have shown it can increase a life span by up to 30 per cent.
"A lot of centenarians lived through the great depression so food, calorie intake, was restricted.
"Imagine now in the USA no one goes through calorific restriction.
"The age of the oldest record holder may go down in the next 50 years. People may not reach 100 anymore."
He said insulin pathways get dampened when calories are restricted in mammals and humans.
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| Fasting tests on mammals are said to have increased their lifespans |
Researchers at the university are looking into drugs which could mimic the effects of restricting calories.
Taking anti-oxidants or other vitamins and supplements to boost health were really just a waste of time, he added, and taking too much could even be harmful.
Anti-oxidants have been used in the body to counter free radicals - mutated cells that can lead to ageing or even cancers in some cases - but Mr Kunath said for balance purposes the body does require some free-radicals.
He added: "If you tip that balance with too much anti-oxidants you can do more harm."
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| Jamie Stark |
He said: "They (antioxidants) used to be big. They can be useful if they are supplementing a diet lacking in them, but if you have a normal diet they are a waste of time and it is near impossible to boost your lifespan with them.
"With vitamins we don't know if there is any evidence to support them. Animal tests say they don't do much."
Jamie Stark, a historian of medicine from the University of Leeds said the name 'vitamins' suggested they could extend life, but after 80 years there was no evidence for this.
He said: "Vitamins are a remarkably modern discovery, developed in the inter-war period. They are seen as one of the main ways of improving human health and have not gone away, but despite 70 or 80 years of research we are still not quite sure what role they play."
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