A diet that proclaims cutting calories is the secret to a longer life has been called into question by new research.

In 2005, The Longevity Diet offered to help readers slow their ageing process and maintain peak vitality by dramatically cutting calorie intake.

However, an expansive study analysing the diet's effects on rhesus monkeys, the closest relative to humans, showed no increase in their life expectancy.

Although the calorie-restricted monkeys in the study boasted healthier hearts and lower rates of diabetes and cancer than those who did not follow the diet, there was no effect on their lifespan.

"If there's a way to manipulate the human diet to let us live longer, we haven't figured it out yet and it may not exist," said Steven Austad from University of Texas Health Science Center's Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, who analysed the study.

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  • Dessert For Breakfast

    It sounds too good to be true, but a group of scientists reckon they've figured out how to prevent weight-gain and food cravings - and it involves adding a cookie or a slice of cake to your breakfast. Researchers from Tel Aviv University's Wolfson Medical Center in Israel believe that dieters would have less trouble fighting off pesky hunger pangs throughout the day if they ate a carbohydrate-rich, protein-packed breakfast - with a helping of dessert. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/06/26/health-dessert-breakfast-weight-loss-food-craving_n_1626701.html" target="_hplink">Read more here.</a>

  • 'Time' To Diet?

    Weight may depend as much on when you eat as what, research suggests. The body clock's effect on metabolism could be an overlooked factor driving obesity, say scientists. New evidence from studies of mice suggests that 24-hour snacking, especially at night, can pile on the pounds. Restricting eating to sensible meal times, on the other hand, may help fight the flab - even with big helpings. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/17/health-weight-depends-on-what-time-you-eat_n_1524195.html" target="_hplink">Read more here. </a>

  • Weight-Loss Glasses

    Japanese inventors have designed a hi-tech (and slightly bonkers) device that claims to help people lose weight - and it involves a pair of 'slimming spectacles' that trick the brain into thinking that food is 50% bigger than it really is. The 'Meta Cookie+' gadget has been developed by a team of researchers from Tokyo University, Japan and was showcased at Tokyo's Digital Content Expo. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/19/japan-dieting-craze-metacookie-slimming-glasses_n_1437782.html" target="_hplink">Read more here.</a>

  • Nose Drip Diet

    An American doctor has sparked a potentially dangerous diet trend by creating a drastic, quick fix weight-loss programme that involves the dieter feeding through a nose drip. The 'K-E Diet' (or the Ketogenic Enteral Nutrition diet), created by Florida-based Dr Oliver Di Pietro, promises to shed 20lbs in just 10 days and has so far proved popular with brides-to-be wanting to shift weight leading up to their wedding. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/04/17/k-e-diet-worrying-trend-weight-loss-nose-drip_n_1431618.html" target="_hplink">Read more here.</a>

  • Cold Baths, No Breakfast and Coffee

    According to the author of Six Weeks To OMG: Get Skinnier Than All Your Friends skipping breakfast, drinking coffee and taking cold baths - really help you get thin. Venice A Fulton is well prepared to challenge his critics and says that many health professionals are already on his side. "I've already had doctors say they find it refreshing and useful for them," Fulton told <em>Huffpost Lifestyle</em>. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/07/05/health-six-weeks-to-omg-diet-really-works_n_1650323.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-lifestyle" target="_hplink">Read more here.</a>

See also:

A Low-Calorie Diet Can Cure Diabetes In Four Months, Say Experts

Low-Calorie Food Trick The Body Into Gaining Weight, Claim Experts

Brits Underestimate Calories In Food, Warn Experts