Caloric restriction delays disease onset and mortality in rhesus monkeys

Please note: the owner of this blog does not support any scientific experimentation on primates (and in general is against the use of animals in biomedical experimentation). Nevertheless, I am posting this work out of respect for the monkeys who are living in biomedical research facilities and giving their lives unwillingly to science. This is perhaps a perfect example of how this research would have been more effective and conclusive had it been done in humans.

Colman RJ, Anderson RM, Johnson SC, Kastman EK, Kosmatka KJ, Beasley TM, Allison DB, Cruzen C, Simmons HA, Kemnitz JW, Weindruch R. (2009) Caloric restriction delays disease onset and mortality in rhesus monkeys. Science. 2009 Jul 10;325(5937):201-4.

Abstract
Caloric restriction (CR), without malnutrition, delays aging and extends life span in diverse species; however, its effect on resistance to illness and mortality in primates has not been clearly established. We report findings of a 20-year longitudinal adult-onset CR study in rhesus monkeys aimed at filling this critical gap in aging research. In a population of rhesus macaques maintained at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, moderate CR lowered the incidence of aging-related deaths. At the time point reported, 50% of control fed animals survived as compared with 80% of the CR animals. Furthermore, CR delayed the onset of age-associated pathologies. Specifically, CR reduced the incidence of diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and brain atrophy. These data demonstrate that CR slows aging in a primate species.

On the left is Canto (27) and on the right is Owen (29). Canto is fed with about 30% less calories than Owen (CR).