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Short-Term Moderate Energy Restriction Does Not Affect Indicators of Oxidative Stress and Genotoxicity in Humans¹

Erica J. M. Velthuis-Te Wierik^*,2, Rick E. W. van Leeuwen, Henk F. J. Hendriks^*, Hans Verhagen, Steffen Loft, Henrik E. Poulsen and Henk Van Den Berg^*

^* TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Department of Physiology and Kinetics, 3700 AJ Zeist, Netherlands TNO Prevention and Health Institute, Department of Vascular and Connective Tissue Research, 2301 CE Leiden, Netherlands TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, Department of Genetic Toxicology, 3700 AJ Zeist, Netherlands University of Copenhagen, The Panum Institute, Department of Pharmacology, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark

Restriction of energy intake (ER), without malnutrition of essential nutrients, has repeatedly been demonstrated to increase longevity in rodents. In the antioxidant theory of aging the lack of balance between the generation of free radicals and free radical scavenging was thought to be a main causal agent in the aging process. From this point of view the antiaging effect induced by ER might be due to the lower rate of free-radical production and related damage induced by a lower metabolic rate. The antiaging effects of ER might also occur in humans. This study explored the effects of a 10-week moderately energy-restricted diet (80% of habitual) in 24 non-obese middle-aged men (16 ER subjects, 8 controls) on resting metabolic rate (RMR) and indicators of the primary antioxidant defense system, oxidative stress and genotoxicity. RMR decreased significantly in both groups, even when adjustments were made for the change in body composition. The increase in blood vitamin C concentrations correlated with the increase in urinary 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (80HdG) excretion. The change in urinary 80HdG excretion also correlated with the change in RMR per kg fat-free mass. No differences between groups were found for changes in indicators of genotoxicity, erythrocyte catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity and in plasma vitamin E, A or ß-carotene concentrations. We conclude that 10 weeks of moderate ER did not affect indicators of antioxidative capacity, oxidative stress and genotoxicity of humans. Since subjects were not in energy balance at the end of the study, no conclusions can be made with respect to long-term effects.

KEY WORDS: • humans • moderate energy restriction • oxidative stress • genotoxicity

¹ The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

² To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 27 December 1994. Revision accepted 18 April 1995.