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Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

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Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#21

Post by bradleyjg »

zdw wrote: post #10
jhartmann wrote: post #2

The paper in Cell Metabolism is here: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(15)0...

Contents of the diet are on this PDF: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdfExtended/S1550-4131(1... The human fasting mimicking diet (FMD) program is a plant-based diet program designed to attain fasting-like effects while providing micronutrient nourishment (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and minimize the burden of fasting. It comprises proprietary vegetable-based soups, energy bars, energy drinks, chip snacks, chamomi…

It doesn't seem like the study can be replicated with that little information, and the word "proprietary" is especially worrying on that account.

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#23

Post by themgt »

zdw wrote: post #10
jhartmann wrote: post #2

The paper in Cell Metabolism is here: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/abstract/S1550-4131(15)0...

Contents of the diet are on this PDF: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdfExtended/S1550-4131(1... The human fasting mimicking diet (FMD) program is a plant-based diet program designed to attain fasting-like effects while providing micronutrient nourishment (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and minimize the burden of fasting. It comprises proprietary vegetable-based soups, energy bars, energy drinks, chip snacks, chamomi…

It really shouldn't be allowed to publish science without the underlying data regarding what you did - barely any of that list gives much hint as to actual ingredients.

That said, this conforms to a lot of previous research regarding fasting, and so it's a reasonable assumption that if you did a once-monthly 5 day fast at 33% of normal calorie intake, composed of a mix of nutrient/vitamin-dense plants and herbs, you would see similar benefits.

In reality this should just be your normal diet - eat lots of plants, add a reasonable amount of healthy meat (i.e. not a kilo of red meat a day). Limit simple carbohydrates, especially sugar. Keep calories reasonably low (which will happen naturally because you'll feel full & satisfied).

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#24

Post by alecco »

hathawsh wrote: post #19

The authors disclosed they have equity in a company called L-Nutra, which intends to sell diet food packs: http://www.l-nutra.com/index.php/products/prolon Nothing for sale yet, but hopefully the price will be competitive with do-it-yourselfers. I am cautiously optimistic about this direction.

Ah, this gets me extremely suspicious until there's independent verification.

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#25

Post by reasonattlm »

kazinator wrote: post #9

The connection between longevity and caloric intake has been studied in mice: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3958810 [1986!] "Mice from groups 3-6 [restricted intake] exhibited mean and maximal life spans 35-65% greater than for group 1 and 20-40% greater than for group 2. Mice from group 6 [most restricted intake] lived longest of all." Brackets mine.

There are studies showing benefits to isocaloric intermittent fasting in rodents - enough to make it reasonable to think that some mechanisms are due to timing of feeding rather than just plain old calorie restriction in a different guise. I'm having trouble digging one up in a short enough time frame at the moment, though. It is proving hard to find the specific paper I'm recalling in amongst all the non-isocaloric intermittent fasting studies.

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#27

Post by reasonattlm »

There is much more background info on Longo and his work on intermittent fasting if you go digging. More interesting than this particular piece, which is very short on context and science relating to the study of intermittent fasting, calorie restriction as adjuvant cancer therapy, immune regeneration via fasting, etc.

http://gero.usc.edu/faculty/longo/

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-06/uosc-fts06021...

http://michelsonmedical.org/2014/12/26/igf-1-fasting-discuss...

http://news.usc.edu/58074/wanted-a-recipe-for-longevity/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25498742

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25498743

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25549805

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#28

Post by ivanhoe »

bradleyjg wrote: post #21
zdw wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Contents of the diet are on this PDF: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdfExtended/S1550-4131(1... The human fasting mimicking diet (FMD) program is a plant-based diet program designed to attain fasting-like effects while providing micronutrient nourishment (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and minimize the burden of fasting. It comprises proprietary vegetable-based soups, energy bars, energy drinks, chip snacks, chamomi…

It doesn't seem like the study can be replicated with that little information, and the word "proprietary" is especially worrying on that account.

They'll brand it and sell it, it's obviously the plan. Now question is if this is really any better than all the other intermittent fasting technics, since they all describe pretty much the same benefits, but it's (for now) hard to quantify and compare the results and the risks...

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#29

Post by stevebmark »

Ketosis also "mimics fastings", the main metabolic difference being nutritional ketosis is 0.5 - 3 mmol/L, while fasting is 3 - 5 mmol/L (betahydroxybuterate in the serum). The benefits of ketosis may also add longevity, possibly with similar mechanisms to fasting. It's likely intermittent fasting put the subjects of the study into mild ketosis.

Bottom line: Ketosis may have benefits similar to fasting in terms of aging, but without having to fast :)

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#30

Post by bjt »

themgt wrote: post #23
zdw wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Contents of the diet are on this PDF: http://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdfExtended/S1550-4131(1... The human fasting mimicking diet (FMD) program is a plant-based diet program designed to attain fasting-like effects while providing micronutrient nourishment (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and minimize the burden of fasting. It comprises proprietary vegetable-based soups, energy bars, energy drinks, chip snacks, chamomi…

It really shouldn't be allowed to publish science without the underlying data regarding what you did - barely any of that list gives much hint as to actual ingredients. That said, this conforms to a lot of previous research regarding fasting, and so it's a reasonable assumption that if you did a once-monthly 5 day fast at 33% of normal calorie intake, composed of a mix of nutrient/vitamin-dense plants and herbs, you…

> In reality this should just be your normal diet

Maybe the proportions, but not the total amounts. 725 calories per day is way too low on a long term basis.

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