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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

#231
On the mechanistic side of things, it seems that fasting, among other things, cause a mild mitochondrial uncoupling[1]. This uncoupling seems the main reason for the extended life span[2]

If we give some credit to this hypothesis then yes, we will have a pill to slow down aging. It can go from a simple aspirin[3] (baby-aspirin anyone?), to the dangerous DNP in a low-dose, controlled release formulation[4], the novel cationic uncouplers [5], or the safe mitoBHT [6].

That said, you can just get a cold shower every morning[7]

I am even researching this area to treat my primary mitochondrial disfuntion[8]

[1] In simple terms, it means that the mitochondria generates less energy in the form of ATP and more energy as heat.

[2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21483800

[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC316328/

[4] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1467-789X.2001....

[5] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26071782

[6] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2267406/

[7] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18335051

[8] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21275885

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#232
post #193

I currently intermittent fast by skipping breakfast + lunch, partially because I'm lazy, partially because it allows me to easily eat 'all my calories' in the end of the day. I really like this as it provides a 'buffer' for unexpected food, such as random cake, or random lunches with colleagues etc. Has anyone here actually ever TRIED fasting a full 24h day? I have. I HATED it. Well, the fasting itself wasn't that ba…

> Has anyone here actually ever TRIED fasting a full 24h day? I've been IF throughout the past 8 months. It's by far the best way of losing weight I've found (10kg in 8 months). I'm planning on doing more fasting this month to lose another 2-3kg which will get me to my goal weight. The longest stretch for me has been 5 days. It's hard for me to describe how I go longish periods(some go for a month+), but essentially…

You are hurting your metabolism. Try reading "The Great Starvation Experiment".

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#233
A lot of the pathways that are mentioned here in the comments were discussed at the "Interventions to Slow Aging in Humans: Are We Ready?" conference in Italy in 2013 that Valter Longo from the article was also part of. They reviewed the different pathways and summarised them here:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12338/full

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#234
post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Has anyone here actually ever TRIED fasting a full 24h day? I've been IF throughout the past 8 months. It's by far the best way of losing weight I've found (10kg in 8 months). I'm planning on doing more fasting this month to lose another 2-3kg which will get me to my goal weight. The longest stretch for me has been 5 days. It's hard for me to describe how I go longish periods(some go for a month+), but essentially…

You are hurting your metabolism. Try reading "The Great Starvation Experiment".

Fasting is not the same thing as a chronic low calorie diet.

Even if there were no health benefits from fasting, worrying about eating every two to four hours must be mentally exhausting.

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#235
post #220
post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

An easy way to fast frequently is to just skip breakfast everyday. Then you automatically get a 16+ hour fast and keep your eating to a short window during the day. This helps kick in autophagy [1], a process whereby our cells repair themselves; a garbage collector for our body if you will. This is most likely the process the scientists are observing as slowed down aging. It's not really a foreign topic as there's 39…

I've been doing this for quite a while and it works great for me. It's 1:30PM here and all I've had so far: 1. a cup of milked tea in the morning 2. a chicken salad for lunch My dinner will be slightly heavier (usually low carb) and will be before 8:00pm. Throw in 2 more cups of tea and that's my day. It took me a very gradual tapering off of caloric intake lasting over a year to get to a point where I can do this wi…

Vitamin supplements are generally in a form that is more difficult to absorb; for long-term health, I'd consider including foods with high vitamin content.

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#236
post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Has anyone here actually ever TRIED fasting a full 24h day? I've been IF throughout the past 8 months. It's by far the best way of losing weight I've found (10kg in 8 months). I'm planning on doing more fasting this month to lose another 2-3kg which will get me to my goal weight. The longest stretch for me has been 5 days. It's hard for me to describe how I go longish periods(some go for a month+), but essentially…

You are hurting your metabolism. Try reading "The Great Starvation Experiment".

> hurting your metabolism

What do you mean by this? Do you mean I'm affecting the long term ability for my body to extract energy from food? I very much doubt that a few days of fasting would have any such long term effects. Quite the opposite in fact. Fasting has been clinically shown to have many positive side effects.

The book you refer to seems to be about intentionally inducing a prolonged state of starvation which would undoubtedly be bad.

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are hurting your metabolism. Try reading "The Great Starvation Experiment".

Fasting is not the same thing as a chronic low calorie diet. Even if there were no health benefits from fasting, worrying about eating every two to four hours must be mentally exhausting.

Can't even get a good nights sleep that way!

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#238
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you please explain what you ate or drank over that 25 day period?

Not the OP, but when I fasted I only drank water, usually distilled. You don't eat anything, hence the term water fasting. I should mention that I personally got weekly blood tests to keep track of the vitals (especially potassium levels) and this is something you definitely should do especially if it's your first prolonged fast.

Interesting. Why did you stick to distilled water, as opposed to having some (non-caloric) electrolytes?

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#239

I currently intermittent fast by skipping breakfast + lunch, partially because I'm lazy, partially because it allows me to easily eat 'all my calories' in the end of the day. I really like this as it provides a 'buffer' for unexpected food, such as random cake, or random lunches with colleagues etc. Has anyone here actually ever TRIED fasting a full 24h day? I have. I HATED it. Well, the fasting itself wasn't that ba…

I have always heard that skipping breakfast is bad while eating a small dinner is good[1]. Isn't this diet doing the exact opposite? [1]: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/128/4/337.abstract?sid=6...

Wasn't that just a myth created by the breakfast cereals industry?

Re: Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

#240
post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which specific "toxins" are in your fat? If your colon isn't working properly you are very sick and you need a doctor ASAP not a fast. The fact fasting (perhaps) has benefits has absolutely nothing to do with "toxins."

And what are the LD50's of those "toxins"? This is my first question to people who go on about "toxins" and "detox" and "cleansing". I don't want an exact number, just a ballpark. Is it micrograms, milligrams or grams per kg body mass? Surely these people who know so very much about "toxins" must know the one fact that distinguishes the things we informally call toxic from the ones we don't. It would be the hieght of…

In a very loose sense of the word you could call sugar a toxin. But it has a ridiculous LD50.

(I agree with you mostly, just don't think your argument is holding water.)

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