Restricting calories in women nearing the end of their reproductive years may prolong fertility and reduce chromosomal defects in offspring, research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests.

A strategy that has been shown to reduce age-related health problems in several animal studies may also combat a major cause of age-associated infertility and birth defects. Investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have shown that restricting the caloric intake of adult female mice prevents a spectrum of abnormalities, such as extra or missing copies of chromosomes, that arise more frequently in egg cells of aging female mammals. Their report appears in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.

Many studies have found that animals whose food intake is restricted but still sufficient to avoid malnutrition live longer and show fewer signs of aging than do animals given access to as much food as they want. The long-term effects of a caloric restriction diet in humans are being investigated in ongoing studies, but some health improvements, including reductions in cholesterol levels and other cardiovascular risk factors, have already been reported. An earlier study  found that female mice maintained on a caloric restriction diet during most of their adulthood maintained their fertility into very advanced ages, even after being allowed to resume free feeding.

We have commented here many times about the adverse effect of on fertility; this takes it one step further. For more information check out our Lifestyle & Fertility pages.