30 Mar 2018 --- Restricting calories is known to fend off physiological signs of aging, with studies showing that chronically slashing intake by about a third can reap myriad health benefits and, in some cases, extend lifespan. However, from a public health perspective, that advice would be impractical for many and dangerous for some. A new University of Colorado Boulder study indicates that when people consume a natural dietary supplement called nicotinomide riboside (NR) daily, it mimics caloric restriction, or “CR,” boosting the same key chemical pathways responsible for its health benefits.