Eat less, enjoy more sex
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It sounds simple. Cut back on your calorie intake by 25% and “walla” you’re having more sex. That was one of the findings from a recent 2016 randomized clinical trial published in JAMA looking at how calorie restriction increases quality of life, sleep and sexual function.
New study looks at cutting calories
This study involved 218 participants, both men and women between the ages of 20 – 50, all having a body mass index (BMI) of 22 to 28 which is considered a normal to overweight BMI category. Over the course of 2 years, one group was randomly assigned to reduce the amount of food they ate by 25% while the other group could eat whatever they wanted without restricting their caloric intake.
Within one year, before the study was even completed, the group who had to cut back their calories by 25% were already reporting they had lost about 12% of their body weight, had better sleep quality, an improved quality of life and the best news of all – better sexual function.
The group that could eat whatever they wished were reporting little to no change in their body weight or improvements in other areas of their lives.
Previous studies have shown that calorie restriction increases longevity in many species and reduces risk factors for chronic diseases. The 2016 JAMA study wanted to see if calorie restriction in humans also improved life span and if there were any negative effects from it. This study has been named the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term effects of Reducing Intake of Energy Phase 2 and is the first study to examine the effects of long-term calorie restriction on disease and how it affects longevity in people who are not obese.
It’s all about the calories
Now back to cutting calories by 25% to see life improvements. Slashing calories by that amount is pretty significant. If you currently consume, say around 1800 calories on average a day, a 25% calorie reduction means reducing 450 calories each day or dropping down to 1350 calories a day. The reality of how many people can stick with that type of calorie reduction for the long-term is hard to say. We live in an obese-promoting environment were food is everywhere making it difficult to say the least to follow this way of eating for the long run.
Participants in the study who were in the calorie-restricted group however, give us hope. They stated that once they “got over the hump” of cutting calories and starting losing weight, hunger went down, they felt better, looked better and their joints didn’t hurt as much. All of which can leads to better and more frequent sex.
Basically, quality of life improved for them and it can for the rest of us too. Maybe it doesn’t have to be 25% we have to cut from our diet, maybe even just 10-15% can bring about positive changes. Another thought is maybe the participants in the study quit eating as much “junk” – foods high in fat, calories and sugar - and started including more healthier foods with more nutrients and less calories thus leading to weight loss thus leading to a better quality of life.
Take home advice
The best advice is to always follow a nutrient-dense diet with a reasonable calorie level – men should not go below 1500 calories a day while women should not go below 1200 calories a day – to still receive the daily nutrients necessary for good health without risking bone health, fertility, nutritional status or libido. This can be accomplished by:
· Always eating 3 meals a day.
· Include between 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
· Eat more beans, lentils, and whole grains on a regular basis.
· Nuts and seeds need to be eaten daily.
· Consume lean sources of animal foods such as lean beef, poultry, pork, seafood, eggs and dairy foods.
· Reduce to a bare minimum foods that don’t improve your health – chips, cookies, cake, pie, pastries, donuts, sugary beverages and any food highly processed.
· Make water your main beverage of choice throughout the day.