title: Predicting whether dietary restriction would increase longevity in species not tested so far.
abstract: Dietary restriction (DR) is often considered as a nearly universal means to extend longevity in animal species. This article argues that whether DR will increase longevity is dependent on life-history strategies. Long-lived species are not expected to live much longer under DR, contrarily to short-lived ones. However, species able to cover long distances are not expected to live longer under DR, even if they are short-lived. Human beings are long-lived and can also cover long distances: thus, DR would probably not increase their lifespan. One may wonder whether DR mimetics would have some effects in human beings if DR does not increase longevity in this species.
authors.affiliation: Université Paul-Sabatier, Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition Animale, UMR CNRS 5169, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 9, France. lebourg@cict.fr
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Le Bourg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity