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Can I start CR at 20?


Epitome

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CR can be implemented during adolescence without developmental problems. Adolescence is the period from puberty to adulthood, and it is characterized by the progressive transition from predominantly physical development to predominantly psychological development. CR implemented too early, or too severely (even during adolescence), can impair physical development, which is the primary concern when deciding age of onset for CR. Physically, implementing CR as early as 18-20 years of age should be acceptable.

 

There are psychological implications to consider, but it is much more difficult to set rigid guidelines for this. The physical structure of the brain is largely in place by adulthood, but it maintains a very high degree of plasticity essential to personal development and learning that extends until about 25 years of age. Implementing CR after 18-20 years of age would avoid physical defects in brain development, but it could have major impacts on cognitive development and psychological outcomes, but it's difficult to make any hard conclusions. I think most would agree that 18-20 could be too early, and 23-25 is definitely acceptable in this regard. The period between 20-23 is more debatable and likely depends on a given individual.

 

The best advice for anyone wishing to begin CR, most especially at a younger age, would be to gradually adopt the diet and increase caloric deficit over time rather than all at once.

 

James

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I'm 20.5 years old. Can I safely start CR now? I've been wanting to do it since I was 14 but I thought it would be especially harmful to my brain development.

 

I'll agree with what James had to say and add that you could start with 5% reduction of your ad lib healthy diet each year until you reach 30 or 35% (max for most people) at around age 25. There are some social consequences to doing so for some people. Some people really look scrawny when on CR and others hold their weight well and look pretty normal. It can be hard to attract a mate when you don't look like everyone else and your 20's are one of the prime times in life to pair up. Also many social occasions center around eating and quite frankly, people just don't understand why you're doing this. Same is true for parents and other family who sometimes are dismayed at the role reversal when you start to suggest to them how to eat healthy. The knowledge and practice changes you and how you interact with your world.

 

Wishing you success with your CR practice.

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CR can be implemented during adolescence without developmental problems. Adolescence is the period from puberty to adulthood, and it is characterized by the progressive transition from predominantly physical development to predominantly psychological development. CR implemented too early, or too severely (even during adolescence), can impair physical development, which is the primary concern when deciding age of onset for CR. Physically, implementing CR as early as 18-20 years of age should be acceptable.

 

There are psychological implications to consider, but it is much more difficult to set rigid guidelines for this. The physical structure of the brain is largely in place by adulthood, but it maintains a very high degree of plasticity essential to personal development and learning that extends until about 25 years of age. Implementing CR after 18-20 years of age would avoid physical defects in brain development, but it could have major impacts on cognitive development and psychological outcomes, but it's difficult to make any hard conclusions. I think most would agree that 18-20 could be too early, and 23-25 is definitely acceptable in this regard. The period between 20-23 is more debatable and likely depends on a given individual.

 

The best advice for anyone wishing to begin CR, most especially at a younger age, would be to gradually adopt the diet and increase caloric deficit over time rather than all at once.

 

James

 

If I do it now will my intelligence will decrease? Will it make it harder to learn things? What more brain development could I possibly have left? I don't understand how I could get any smarter at age 25 then I am now if I continue to have a normal diet.

 

Would it not be a positive to keep a childlike brain? It would stop that stereotypical old age stubbornness of resistance to change from occurring.

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I'll agree with what James had to say and add that you could start with 5% reduction of your ad lib healthy diet each year until you reach 30 or 35% (max for most people) at around age 25. There are some social consequences to doing so for some people. Some people really look scrawny when on CR and others hold their weight well and look pretty normal. It can be hard to attract a mate when you don't look like everyone else and your 20's are one of the prime times in life to pair up. Also many social occasions center around eating and quite frankly, people just don't understand why you're doing this. Same is true for parents and other family who sometimes are dismayed at the role reversal when you start to suggest to them how to eat healthy. The knowledge and practice changes you and how you interact with your world.

 

Wishing you success with your CR practice.

 

Some of the social consequences are why I've been holding up until now to start CR. Ultimately I care about my health and longevity too much to care about what other people think.

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If I do it now will my intelligence will decrease? Will it make it harder to learn things? What more brain development could I possibly have left? I don't understand how I could get any smarter at age 25 then I am now if I continue to have a normal diet.

 

Would it not be a positive to keep a childlike brain? It would stop that stereotypical old age stubbornness of resistance to change from occurring.

Physical brain development in early life is characterized by growth and proliferation of neural tissues, and differentiation of these tissues into the different structures of the brain. This physical development is what I referred to in my first post, and this process is completed by adulthood. However, neurons are constantly undergoing more minor changes that facilitate learning, psychology, etc., and this is often tied to neurogenesisand neuroplasticity.

 

CRON in adulthood has been shown to enhance these processes and preserve their robustness into older age more so than ad-lib subjects. Your capacity to learn and remember will be maintained, and perhaps even enhanced, as you age if you maintain a CRON diet. Exercise, certain phytochemicals, and stress reduction may have similar benefits as well, so it's really a product of a healthy lifestyle, though CR itself has very profound independent effects.

 

The "childlike brain" you refer probably has more to do with personality and life experiences than it does with physical brain changes with age. I'd suggest it's a combination of the two, with more emphasis on the former than the latter. If practicing CR helps you feel younger and more vibrant then you may find it easier to maintain your curiosity and openness to new ideas and continued learning. I certainly look forward to interacting with the world and new things/people when I feel more physically and mentally capable, which I hope to prolong with CRON.

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  • 3 months later...
Guest Bob Cavanaugh

I'm 20.5 years old. Can I safely start CR now? I've been wanting to do it since I was 14 but I thought it would be especially harmful to my brain development.

 

An important question no one has asked yet is what is your current weight and height? If you are already at a low weight relative to peers, you may already be calorie restricted and only need to concentrate on nutritional elements of a CR lifestyle.

 

When I was 20 yrs old, I weighed 145 pounds standing 5 feet 10 inches tall. I had a BMI of 21 which is mid-range of healthy. Many here struggle to achieve a BMI of 18 or lower. This requires working closely with your doctor and frequent testing to measure and document positive and negative changes in your physiology. Each of us is a genetically different mouse and what may be great for one may not be so great for another.

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  • 1 year later...

 

CR can be implemented during adolescence without developmental problems. Adolescence is the period from puberty to adulthood, and it is characterized by the progressive transition from predominantly physical development to predominantly psychological development. CR implemented too early, or too severely (even during adolescence), can impair physical development, which is the primary concern when deciding age of onset for CR. Physically, implementing CR as early as 18-20 years of age should be acceptable. There are psychological implications to consider, but it is much more difficult to set rigid guidelines for this. The physical structure of the brain is largely in place by adulthood, but it maintains a very high degree of plasticity essential to personal development and learning that extends until about 25 years of age. Implementing CR after 18-20 years of age would avoid physical defects in brain development, but it could have major impacts on cognitive development and psychological outcomes, but it's difficult to make any hard conclusions. I think most would agree that 18-20 could be too early, and 23-25 is definitely acceptable in this regard. The period between 20-23 is more debatable and likely depends on a given individual.The best advice for anyone wishing to begin CR, most especially at a younger age, would be to gradually adopt the diet and increase caloric deficit over time rather than all at once.James

If I do it now will my intelligence will decrease? Will it make it harder to learn things? What more brain development could I possibly have left? I don't understand how I could get any smarter at age 25 then I am now if I continue to have a normal diet. Would it not be a positive to keep a cfhildlike brain? It would stop that stereotypical old age stubbornness of resistance to change from occurring.

From personal experience 20 was too early for me and decreased my cognitive function. I'm only 26 now but it was hard to tell in the moment until about a year later reflecting and noticing while debating with classmates that I waas quieter and slower in response. Your prefrontal cortex is still developing until about 25- look it up its really interesting- but it has a lot to do with judgement- for example it is wise that you asked the opinion of people here but the response "I don't understand how I could get any smarter at age 25 than I am now..." sounds like it may have been emotionally driven. I hope to be smarter at 30 than I am now and smarter still at 50. The pause that allows sound judgement takes practice but also a strong prefrontal cortex. I would suggest starting at 25 or later, it was profound how many things became easier when PC finished developing for me.

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