Those on low-calorie diets had much lower levels of "bad" cholesterol, much higher levels of "good" cholesterol, lower levels of triglycerides and very low blood pressure. Tests of their arteries showed they looked more like those of children than middle-age adults.
In addition, their blood sugar levels were very low and their body's response to insulin was extremely high, indicating they were at very low risk for diabetes.
At the same time, they had very low blood levels of a substance known as c-reactive protein (CRP), which is believed to be a marker for inflammation in the body. Many researchers believe low CRP levels are linked to a lower risk for a host of ailments, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.
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