It might seem drastic but an expert has claimed that the diet could help people increase their lifespan if done correctly
One expert has claimed that skipping meals could be the secret to naturally defeating the ageing process. But he said that people need to ‘do it right’ to reap the benefits and avoid doing more harm than good.
The average Brit can expect to live until around the age of 79 to 83, not considering any health factors. Although it is physically impossible to stop ageing, one type of dieting could help you “feel younger” and extend your ‘biological’ age rather than your chronological age.
In an episode of ZOE Health’s podcast show, Dr Valter Longo, a leading researcher in longevity at the University of Southern California, told professor Tim Spector, nutritional science expert and founder of ZOE, that the “fasting-mimicking diet” was a five-day programme that, according to some studies, could knock about two and a half years off one’s biological age.
He claimed that trying to slow ageing was less about the number of birthdays and more about clawing back “chronological age”. He said: “If you fast a person for, let’s say, five days, it’d be hard to find something else that causes more changes in the body. Of course, if you go longer, there are even more changes, but I say anything you can do in five days.
“So everything happens during fasting for obvious reasons. So you now can no longer rely on energy coming from the outside. You need to rely on energy that comes from inside, so the body slowly gets into a mode where it starts burning fat and relying on fatty acids and ketone bodies.”
Fasting is a process where people typically don’t eat at all or severely limit their calorie intake for a period of time. In some cultures, it’s also done for religious reasons.
The idea of fasting might have people automatically assuming that you have to starve yourself for these internal benefits, but Dr Longo explained that’s why “mimicking” is key here. He explained exactly what people wanting to try this need to do, as it is more about only eating during certain times of the day rather than cutting food out entirely.
Intermittent fasting may improve health in several ways, including weight loss, improved heart health, and reduced inflammation. By restricting eating, you may consume fewer calories, and intermittent fasting may increase the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that burns fat.
It may improve blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease and other obesity-related conditions. This type of diet can also help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, which can contribute to chronic conditions like arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.
Intermittent fasting may trigger autophagy, a process that removes damaged cells from the body. This process may help protect against conditions like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Other benefits may include better sleep by regulating your circadian rhythm, improved memory, tissue repair, and athletic performance.
The doctor claimed that “people should do the clinically tested” method, which involves strict calorie tracking and knowing exactly what goes into your body. He said: “Basically it’s usually between 600 and 1100 calories, depending whether it’s used for cancer or diabetes or people that don’t have any problems. 600-1100 calories per day, and it’s a low sugar, low protein, low calorie, and high fat.
“The version for people that don’t have diseases, right, that version is 1100 calories on day one, and then it goes down to about 770 to 800 calories on day two, three, four, five. And again, plant-based, high fat, low sugar, low protein.”
Tim Spector emphasised the importance of an all-around approach to your health and diet when attempting this, as it is not suitable for everyone. He said: “I think, like all these things, a holistic approach is important. So diet, maintenance of muscle mass, exercise, whatever. So, don’t forget the bigger picture as well if you are going to go for time-restricted eating or these fasting mechanisms.”
Before you try any form of fasting, you should check in with your doctor first. They can advise if this will be suitable for you or not, as some people are warned against this type of dieting such as under 18s, pregnant or breastfeeding women, type one diabetics and those with a history of eating disorders.
People taking medications that impact metabolism or have chronic conditions impacting their heart, kidney, and liver should also skip on fasting diets too. Intermittent fasting might not suit everyone. Some individuals may feel tired and low on energy, while others could face issues with sleep. Further studies are necessary to understand the long-term benefits of intermittent fasting.