Calorie Restriction For Longevity? NOT.

It really boggles me that some people practice conscious calorie restriction for longevity reasons.

Calorie restriction has been proven by scientific studies to increase lifespan in animals.
We don't know if in humans it would have the same effect, but it makes sense, since by restricting calories we lower our metabolism, thus slowing down the aging process.

But it seems that the benefits of calorie restriction for longevity could be achieved only by restricting our protein intake (especially that coming from animal products).

This is an interesting video of Dr. Michael Greger where he explains how that might work:

My thoughts on the subject are that even if calorie restriction really prolonged our lifespan by a noticeable amount of time, why would we choose to live our life miserably just for a few extra years? Why would we want to live longer if our life was so wretched?

Dr. Greger explains very well the side effects of calorie restriction. It makes us feel sick and miserable, so I can't understand why someone would want to live to 100 years in that manner.

Personally, I would rather live to 70 feeling great and energized than to 100 feeling tired and ill.

Those who endorse calorie restriction also warn against doing heavy (or even moderate!) exercise, because that puts a stress on the body, and increases our calorie needs, which is, according to them, counter-productive for extending our lifespan.

But let's look at nature. I don't see any animals purposely restricting calories.
Generally speaking, carnivores only eat when they catch a prey and fast the rest of the time. They're adapted to do that.
But what about herbivores/frugivores/"plant-eaters"? Have you ever seen an orangutan or a gorilla calorie restricting? NO! On the contrary, they're eating all the frickin' time!
The same happens with cows, horses, rabbits, and other herbivores.

If we didn't have access to food, we would fast. But if food is plentiful, it's silly to think about restricting our food intake intentionally.

As long as we choose the right foods, there is no need to restrict anything. Our appetites are our best guides.