A recent study led by the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology has revealed exciting findings about the power of a special diet to slow down aging.
This diet, known as the fasting-mimicking diet (FMD), is designed to imitate the effects of fasting without requiring individuals to give up food entirely.
Over a span of five days, this diet focuses on high unsaturated fats with low calories, proteins, and carbohydrates, offering a simpler alternative to traditional fasting by providing essential nutrients.
Valter Longo, a professor at USC Leonard Davis and the guiding force behind this study, has shared that this is the first research of its kind.
It demonstrates that a diet-based approach, without the need for ongoing lifestyle changes, can effectively make people biologically younger.
This conclusion is drawn from observed changes in aging and disease risk factors and a method developed by the Levine group to determine biological age.
The fasting-mimicking diet isn’t new to the scene. Previous studies, also led by Longo, have highlighted its numerous benefits. These include promoting stem cell regeneration, easing chemotherapy side effects, and reducing signs of dementia in mice.
Moreover, FMD has been associated with lowered risk factors for a host of conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other age-related illnesses.
In mice, periodic cycles of FMD have been shown to enhance both healthspan and lifespan, whether on a standard or Western diet. However, its effects on human aging, liver fat, and immune system aging were previously unclear.
The latest study looked into the diet’s impact on two groups of men and women aged 18 to 70. Those assigned to the FMD followed it for five days, after which they returned to their regular diet for the remainder of the month, completing 3-4 cycles in total.
The diet includes plant-based soups, energy bars, drinks, snacks, tea, and a supplement rich in essential nutrients.
Results were promising: participants showed lower diabetes risk factors, including reduced insulin resistance and HbA1c levels. Imaging tests also indicated decreases in abdominal and liver fat, which are linked to a lower risk of metabolic syndrome.
Another positive outcome was an improved lymphoid-to-myeloid ratio, suggesting a rejuvenated immune system.
Most notably, the study found that participants had effectively reduced their biological age by an average of 2.5 years, indicating a significant rejuvenation of metabolic and immune functions.
This groundbreaking research supports the FMD as a viable, short-term dietary strategy to enhance health and reduce disease risk, without necessitating major lifestyle changes.
Valter Longo believes that these findings will encourage more healthcare professionals to recommend the fasting-mimicking diet to patients looking to lower their risk of diseases or those simply interested in maintaining a younger biological age.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about how Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and the best time to take vitamins to prevent heart disease.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies that olive oil may help you live longer, and vitamin D could help lower the risk of autoimmune diseases.
The research findings can be found in Nature Communications.
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