CR Finally explained

[Gordo]

It's all about that drift, 'bout that drift, 'bout that drift

 

https://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2017-09-uncover-mechanism-calorie-restriction-lengthened.html

[Saul]

Hi Gordo!

 

Correlation is not causation.

[Saul]

My own guess:

 

CRON causes many different changes in the body -- no one of which is the sole "reason" for the beneficial affects,

of healthspan extension and (possibly) lifespan extension.

 

-- Saul

[mccoy]

Hi Gordo!

 

Correlation is not causation.

 

Excuse me Saul, that statement is of course true but to be precise (since the mantra 'correlation is not causation' has been used by some people to disclaim just about everything): correlation is not causation but correlation may most assuredly derive from causation.

 

Data correlation is what makes us focus our attention upon one aspect and go deeper to the search of a possible causative process.

 

So the sentence 'Correlation is not necessarily causation' may sound less of an extremely skeptic statement.

[Gordo]

Yea, I was in a hurry when I posted that and also on a phone, but it was supposed to be tongue in cheek.  Essentially saying "the body accumulates less damage in X species when you do Y, resulting in longer lifespan" doesn't tell me anything about the mechanism and is essentially a tautology.  It article also begs the question regarding CR actually working in the first place, which it doesn't for example in most subtypes of mice and most other mammals bigger than a rat.  But if this research results in an actionable new way to reduce epigenetic drift, I'm all for it  ;)