What is the fasting-mimicking diet? Eating plan claims to reverse aging signs by 2.5 years
Wanna turn back the hands of time? This diet may help.
A study published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications found that a fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) can lower a person’s biological age by an average of 2½ years.
The five-day FMD is rich in unsaturated fats and low in calories, protein, and carbohydrates — it’s designed to mimic the effects of a water-only fast while still providing necessary nutrients.
“This is the first study to show that a food-based intervention that does not require chronic dietary or other lifestyle changes can make people biologically younger,” senior author and University of Southern California professor Valter Longo said in a statement.
“This is based on both changes in risk factors for aging and disease, and on a validated method developed to assess biological age,” Longo added.
USC researchers analyzed the effects of the FMD in two clinical trials — each with men and women between the ages of 18 and 70.
Participants underwent three to four monthly cycles of the FMD, following the diet for five days before switching back to a “normal” or Mediterranean-style diet for 25 days.
While restricted to the FMD, participants filled their plates with things like plant-based soups, energy bars, chips, energy drinks, and tea. They were also given a supplement with high levels of minerals, vitamins, and essential fatty acids.
The study found that FMD lowers diabetes risk factors (including less insulin resistance and lower HbA1c results), reduces liver fat, slows immune system aging, and decreases the risks of age-related illnesses, resulting in a lower biological age.
“Biological age” is a measure of the function of the person’s cells and tissues, as opposed to chronological age.
“Our study also lends more support to the FMD’s potential as a short-term, periodic, achievable dietary intervention that can help people lessen their disease risk and improve their health without extensive lifestyle changes,” first study author Sebastian Brandhorst said.
Previous research conducted by Longo has indicated that brief, periodic FMD cycles can promote stem cell regeneration and lessen chemotherapy side effects. Other trials have found that FMD may be able to reduce the signs of dementia.
The study comes as more people have turned to exercise routines and even electric shock in their attempts to reverse aging.
