Within the article, "Eating Less May Extend Human Life," there are three main studies discussed. Those studies have a population of rodents, rhesus monkeys, and male humans respectively. The three groups the study specifics, are all slightly different in both population and scientific characteristics. Though each study is different they all reflect
similarities of findings and suggest that further research will yield promising results. In the rodent tests, the article suggests that there have been several tests conducted on both mice and rats with predictable results, include a test and a control group. The test group consists of a population of rodents with a reduced dietary intake of about 30 percent. In addition to this those rodents within the test group also share three biomarkers, thought to be as a result of the reduced caloric intake, lower body temperature, lower blood sugar and high levels of the hormone DHEAS. The control group of this particular study is a group of rodents with both normal caloric intake and lower life span.
The results for the Rhesus monkey study are still preliminary, the test started 15 years ago must reflect the normal lifespan of the Rhesus monkey, about 25 years in order to contend scientific results. "Statistically, at least half of the monkeys will have to complete their normal lifespan before the data is considered significant, said Roth" (AP
2003, pp. 3). Regardless of this fact indicators suggest that the control group is consistently living shorter lives on a normal caloric diet and lacking the three biomarkers present in the super aged rodent population. The human test also preliminary is also slightly different than the other two studies. The human male study, occurring in Baltimore, MD, does not include a test group being denied caloric intake. Instead the studies test group includes a group of men who consistently possess the three biomarkers found in both the test rodent and monkey p...