Very promising results from studies into longevity has found that by periodically tricking the body into thinking that it is fasting, significant health and anti-aging benefits are released.
Scientists found evidence that a healthy daily “longevity” diet, combined with a periodic low calorie diet that mimics a fast – to provide the regenerative benefits of a fast, without the malnutrition and hunger – can exploit the body’s innate ability to regenerate at cellular and organ levels. This combination of diets has the potential to slow aging, reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, and reduce risk factors for cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
The research:
The Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California, headed by biochemist Prof Valter Longo, has tried over a number of decades to find connections between nutrition and successful aging – with the aim to help people live longer, while being healthy at the same time. He grew up in rural Italy, and in later life tried to find out why the people in some of these areas lived longer and were free of disease. As a biochemist he was interested in finding specific biochemical pathways in the body that would result in longevity.
The research was aimed at finding a biological strategy to influence longevity and health, by initiating the protection and regeneration functions of cells in the body, in order to stay younger longer while in good health.
Research started with simple single-cell organisms such as baker’s yeast, which helped to uncover the promising effects of fasting at a cellular level. (As a matter of interest, when yeast cells are starved from nutrients and only fed water, they lived twice as long. Sugar, on the other hand, is one of the nutrients that causes yeast to age fast and die early.)
Research with mice, which have short lifespans, provided details about the life-long effects of fasting and increased their median lifespan with 11%. The results of these studies have led to pilot human trials, also showing promising results..
The results:
While the body uses some of its stores of glucose, fat and ketones during prolonged fasting, results indicated that it also breaks down a significant number of white blood cells. During periodic cycles of fasting, the depletion of white blood cells induces changes that trigger the stem cells to switch to regeneration mode, producing new immune system cells. During this process the body rids itself of the inefficient (damaged or old) parts of the immune system.
An immune system damaged by aging, or by the harmful side effects of chemotherapy, can through cycles of fasting potentially renew itself. The results from a small trial gave an indication that fasting may mitigate some of the harmful effects that results from chemotherapy, and protect the body against the toxicity of chemotherapy.
Results from studies in mice also indicated that the fasting mimicking diet may assist in destroying (“starving out”) cancer cells during chemotherapy, while offering protection against damage to the immune system, that is associated with chemotherapy.
Studies into the genetic and molecular biology of longevity, by studying centenarians as well as obtaining other scientific and clinical data, have found that the combination of a healthy daily diet with a periodic fasting-mimicking diet can regulate genes that protect against ageing. The biochemistry involved in longevity can also be applied to understand what causes disease at the molecular and cellular level and how to adjust the molecules and cells to their more youthful and fully functioning states. One of the findings was that prolonged fasting can push normal cells into a highly protective state, while making cancer cell highly vulnerable to chemotherapy and other cancer therapies.
By monitoring the age at which people are diagnosed with different diseases, it became clear that aging itself is the main risk factor for many diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease and many other medical conditions. The longevity approach is to focus on limiting the effects of aging, rather than try to prevent and treat diseases individually.
While early indications of these pilot studies are promising, clinical trials are continuing. Further studies are envisaged to determine whether these results also apply to other systems and organs in the body, besides the immune system.
The longevity diet:
The longevity program does not focus on healthy weight or on any individual disease or medical condition. Thirty years of research has culminated in the identification of healthy daily diets as well as periodic fasting-mimicking diets with the potential to extend healthy longevity.
Human biochemistry is very complex and links to nutrients, their functions, aging and disease. The three major macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates and fats. While the correct levels of proteins, carbohydrates and unsaturated fats are beneficial to the biochemistry of the body, excess levels of proteins, saturated fats and sugars can accelerate aging and cause damage.
Longo provides the following guidelines for a healthy daily longevity diet:
• Eat a mostly vegan diet and have fish two to three times a week. Select fish that are high in omega-3 content, such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, cod, trout, clams and shrimp.
• Restrict the intake of protein to about 0,75 gram per kg of body weight. Choose protein mainly from vegetable proteins, such as beans, chickpeas, peas and other legumes. People over age 65 start to lose muscle mass and can slightly increase their protein intake by adding animal based protein, such as cheese, eggs, white meat, goat’s meat and lamb to preserve muscle mass.
• Saturated fat from animals, other unhealthy fats, and sugar should be kept to the minimum. Healthy unsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts) and complex carbohydrates (such as whole grains, and vegetables) should be maximized in the diet.
• Avoid carbohydrates that are easily converted into simple sugars, such as white bread, pasta and rice. (In traditional meals a small helping of pasta was combined with lots of vegetables and other plant based foods on the plate, instead of the modern tendency of a large helping of pasta with something on top to add flavour.)
• A diet that is high in vitamin and mineral content should be followed and a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement, as well as an omega-3 fish oil soft gel should be taken every three days to ensure sufficient nutrients are taken.
• A good guideline is to eat the variety of food that your ancestors would have eaten when they were self-sufficient in providing foods.
• Eat all meals within a 12 hour period or less, for example start after 8 and finish before 8 pm. Those who are overweight should eat two meals a day and have two low-sugar snacks in between. Those with a normal weight and waist circumference can eat three meals and one low sugar snack per day. Snacks should be low in sugar and have less than 100 calories. Breakfast should be one of the meals and the last meal should be eaten 3 -4 hours before bedtime.
• Apart from changing our diets, the other major factor that contributes to longevity is physical activity. Longo suggests that your do exercise or other physical activity until you breathe rapidly and sweat for five to ten hours a week. For example walk fast for an hour every day and cycle, swim or run every other day for thirty minutes or more. Weight training or weight-free exercises helps to strengthen muscles. Every muscle in the body needs to be used frequently in order to maintain or gain strength.
Longo provides the following guidelines for a periodic fasting-mimicking diet:
• A 5 day fasting-mimicking diet should be followed every one to six months, depending on weight and frailty, also acting on advice from your medical doctor or dietitian. In order to prevent malnutrition and other dangers associated with a normal fast, Longo has developed nutritional supplements to be taken during the fasting-mimicking cycle. This combination of a healthy daily diet and a periodic fasting-mimicking diet points the way to a long and healthy life, says Longo.
Sources:
Longo, V. The longevity diet. Penguin Random House UK. 2018. 300 p.
Fasting-mimicking diet holds promise for people with digestive problems. Published online 5 March 2019. University of Southern California. (www.news.usc.edu)
What to know about fasting, aging, the ‘longevity diet’ and when you should eat. Published online 2 February 2018. University of Southern California. (www.news.usc.edu)
Scientifically designed fasting diet lowers risks for major diseases. Published online 16 February 2017. University of Southern California. (www.news.usc.edu)
A low-calorie fasting-like diet, plus chemotherapy, enables the immune system to recognize and kill skin and breast cancer cells, according to new USC-led study on mice. Published online 12 July 2016. University of Southern California. (www.news.usc.edu)
Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system. Protection from chemotherapy immunosuppression indicates effect could be conserved in humans. Published online 5 June 2014. University of Southern California. (www.news.usc.edu)
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