Health | aging Monkey Lesson: Eat Less, Live Longer By John Johnson Posted Jul 9, 2009 8:14 PM CDT Copied Rhesus monkeys Canto, 27, left, on a restricted diet, and Owen, 29, on an unrestricted diet, at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center. (AP Photo/UW-Madison University, Jeff Miller) A landmark study of rhesus monkeys suggests one way to live to a ripe old age in good health: Eat less. A lot less. Monkeys on a strict diet over the past 20 years—as in, a whopping 30% fewer calories than normal—have proven to be a healthier bunch than a control group, with fewer cases of cancer, diabetes, and heart and brain disease, reports the New York Times. “These data demonstrate that caloric restriction slows aging in a primate species,” say the researchers in Science. Some diehard humans already embrace the practice, but the idea of near-starvation limits its appeal. The findings are expected to boost the study of drugs such as resveratrol, found in red wine, that can mimic the benefits of a very-low-cal diet without all the hunger pangs. Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Supreme Court ruling is a big blow to Planned Parenthood. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. Report an error