A recent study has offered some clues on how to get diet benefits without actually dieting.

British researchers found that by removing a gene that’s linked to nutrients and growth, mice were able to live 20 percent longer (on average), and thus partly explains why eating less appears to improve health and increase longevity.

The ribosomal S6 protein kinase 1 (S6K1) gene is the specific gene in question here, and researchers found that removing S6K1 meant the mice’s bodies behaved in a similar way to mammals whose calorie intake is restricted.

Most calorie restriction studies in the past have found that a lifetime of deprivation is needed in order to achieve the longer-life benefits, and many researchers are now said to be working on ways to replicate the findings with drugs.

So maybe one day soon we will be able to get the benefits of dieting, without actually needing to go on the diet – just have the S6K1 gene removed!