Dietary restriction (DR) represents one of the most robust interventions for extending lifespan. It is not known how DR increases lifespan. The prevailing evolutionary hypothesis suggests the DR response redirects metabolic resources towards somatic maintenance at the expense of investment in reproduction. Consequently, DR acts as a proximate mechanism which promotes a pro-longevity phenotype. This idea is known as resource reallocation. However, growing findings suggest this paradigm could be incomplete. It has been argued that during DR it is not always possible to identify a trade-off between reproduction and lifespan. It is also suggested the relationship between reproduction and somatic maintenance can be uncoupled by the removal or inclusion of specific nutrients. These findings have created an imperative to re-explore the nexus between DR and evolutionary theory. In this review I will address this evolutionary conundrum. My overarching objectives are fourfold: (1) to outline some of the evidence for and against resource reallocation; (2) to examine recent findings which have necessitated a theoretical re-evaluation of the link between life history theory and DR; (3) to present alternatives to the resource reallocation model; (4) to present emerging variables which potentially influence how DR effects evolutionary trade-offs.

饮食限制 (DR) 是延长寿命最有力的干预措施之一。目前尚不清楚 DR 如何延长寿命。流行的进化假说表明，DR 反应将代谢资源重新定向到体细胞维持，以牺牲对繁殖的投资为代价。因此，DR 充当促进长寿表型的近似机制。这个想法被称为资源重新分配。然而，越来越多的发现表明这种范式可能是不完整的。有人认为，在 DR 期间，并不总是能够确定繁殖和寿命之间的权衡。还表明可以通过去除或包含特定营养素来解除生殖和体细胞维持之间的关系。这些发现促使我们迫切需要重新探索 DR 与进化论之间的联系。在这篇评论中，我将解决这个进化难题。我的总体目标有四个：(1) 概述一些支持和反对资源重新分配的证据；(2) 检查最近的发现，这些发现需要从理论上重新评估生活史理论与 DR 之间的联系；(3) 提出资源重新分配模型的替代方案；(4) 提出可能影响 DR 如何影响进化权衡的新兴变量。(2) 检查最近的发现，这些发现需要从理论上重新评估生活史理论与 DR 之间的联系；(3) 提出资源重新分配模型的替代方案；(4) 提出可能影响 DR 如何影响进化权衡的新兴变量。(2) 检查最近的发现，这些发现需要从理论上重新评估生活史理论与 DR 之间的联系；(3) 提出资源重新分配模型的替代方案；(4) 提出可能影响 DR 如何影响进化权衡的新兴变量。