Health promotion by dietary restriction--a focus

Food restriction, although long popular among gerontologists, has emerged as a new challenge in public health in postindustrial societies because this is the only intervention that repeatedly and strikingly increases maximum life span. The practice of food restriction is widespread for cosmetic, health, and economic reasons. The beneficial effects and the molecular mechanism of food restriction have been well established. The present review summarizes the rapidly accumulating evidence on the involvement of food restriction in various diseases and focuses on good dietary practices for health promotion in modern life style.