Clinical implications of nutritional interventions reducing calories, a systematic scoping review

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Dietary Interventions
• Health Research

Background:

• Caloric restriction (CR) involves temporarily reducing calorie intake.
• CR is known to induce resilience and resistance mechanisms, promoting health.
• While CR's feasibility and safety are established in humans, its benefits require further study in varied populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the literature on caloric restriction-like interventions.
• To assess the feasibility, safety, and potential benefits of CR in different populations.

Main Methods:

• Systematic scoping review.
• Adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.
• Analysis of 40 studies from 3745 initial records.

Main Results:

• All included studies confirmed the feasibility and safety of CR-like interventions.
• Nutritional preconditioning effects varied, highlighting the need for tailored strategies.
• Carefully crafted strategies are essential, considering intended effects, patient populations, and logistical constraints.

Conclusions:

• CR-like interventions, including long-term CR and short-term fasting, are feasible across a wide range of patient populations.
• The clinical benefits of CR, such as reducing treatment side effects and enhancing therapy efficacy, require further investigation.