Researchers at the University of Southern California have announced their latest findings showing that a four-day low-calorie diet that mimics fasting can cut visceral belly fat, boost neural regeneration in the brain, and improve learning and memory. It can also help you live longer.
Previous versions of the fasting mimicking diet (FMD) have already been shown to starve out cancer cells while protecting the immune system and other cells in patients undergoing chemotherapy. This latest round of testing, which was conducted on mice, yeast strains, and in a small group of human subjects, shows the advantages of systematically starving the body while balancing the cycles with good nutrition.
"Strict fasting is hard for people to stick to, and it can also be dangerous, so we developed a complex diet that triggers the same effects in the body," said Valter Longo, Professor of Biogerontology at the USC Davis School of Gerontology and director of the USC Longevity Institute. "I've personally tried both, and the fasting mimicking diet is a lot easier and also a lot safer."
Their studies show that bimonthly cycles that included four days of an FMD extended life span, reduced the incidence of cancer, boosted the immune system, reduced inflammatory disease, and slowed bone mineral density loss and improved the cognitive abilities of older mice in the study.
In human trials, 19 subjects were assigned three cycles of a similar diet once a month for five days. The results indicate decreased risk factors and biomarkers for aging, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, with no major adverse side effects reported.
"It's about reprogramming the body so it enters a slower aging mode, but also rejuvenating it through stem cell-based regeneration," Longo said. "It's not a typical diet because it isn't something you need to stay on."
Longo envisions the FMD being undertaken every three to six months, depending on the health status and size of the individual. For those with elevated disease risk factors or individuals considered obese, Longo says the diet could be followed as often as once every two weeks, as long as a physician was overseeing the patient's status.
"Not everyone is healthy enough to fast for five days, and the health consequences can be severe for a few who do it improperly," Longo says. "Water-only fasting should only be done in a specialized clinic. Also, certain types of very low calorie diets, and particularly those with high protein content, can increase the incidence of gallstones in women at risk."
"In contrast, the fasting mimicking diet tested in the trial can be done anywhere under the supervision of a physician and carefully following the guidelines established in the clinical trials."
Additional trials using larger subject groups are currently underway.
"If the results remain as positive as the current ones, I believe this FMD will represent the first safe and effective intervention to promote positive changes associated with longevity and health span, which can be recommended by a physician," Longo said. "We will soon meet with FDA officers to pursue several FDA claims for disease prevention and treatment."