DHAKA: Extreme calorie counting boosts lifespan in monkeys, according to new research.

Until now, the rationale for following an ultra-low calorie diet to ward off ageing has been based on experiments in worms and mice, report the BBC.

Studies reported in Nature Communications found primates also benefited from the regime.

A nutritionist urged caution over severe calorie restriction in humans, saying more research was needed.

Advocates of the Calorie Restriction (CR) diet claim that by severely restricting the number of calories they consume they will live longer, perhaps into their hundreds.

They cite a wealth of scientific evidence dating back more than 75 years.

Much of the research is based on experiments in animals such as mice and worms, with primate studies giving conflicting results.

Now, a US team has published new evidence showing CR also shows benefits in primates.

BDST: 1250 HRS, APR 02, 2014