A Quest to Revolutionize Aging through Fasting
A biologist's research on the potential of fasting to slow down aging and treat various diseases has sparked both excitement and skepticism in the scientific community.
The Facts:
Valter Longo, professor of gerontology and director of the U.S.C. Longevity Institute in California, has dedicated his career to exploring the potential of fasting as a means to extend human lifespan and improve overall health. His research, along with that of his fellow scientists, has revealed that short-term fasting can activate stem cells and trigger a process called autophagy, where cells recycle their damaged parts and rejuvenate. Longo believes these processes can be harnessed to slow down the aging process and potentially help treat various diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
The idea of fasting having therapeutic value dates back to ancient Greek and Persian scholars, and there have been both controversial and positive human experiments with fasting throughout history. The field of fasting research was largely dismissed for several decades, but in recent years, researchers have started studying the benefits of short-term fasting and time-restricted eating. This has led to a fad for fasting and the perception of it as a path to weight loss and wellness, creating opportunities for charlatans and unsubstantiated claims.
Longo has translated his research into several self-help books and a business venture called L-Nutra, which offers a flagship product called the ProLon 5-Day Diet. This fasting-mimicking diet is designed to trick the body into thinking it is fasting while still providing a limited number of calories. Longo's work has garnered significant attention, with endorsements from celebrities and even an invitation from the Pope to hold a conference at the Vatican. However, Longo's approach has also faced skepticism from other scientists, who believe he is moving too quickly in a nascent field and has too many conflicts of interest.
Some scientists are more generally opposed to fasting-mimicking diets, as the restrictive eating can endanger long-term health, especially for those with chronic diseases. They argue that Longo's direct involvement in the clinical trials of his own product represents a significant conflict of interest. Additionally, a meta-analysis published in 2022 found no evidence that fasting-mimicking diets were better than a regular diet in preventing chemotherapy side effects.
As Benjamin Horne, an epidemiologist at Salt Lake City's Intermountain Heart Institute, expressed, "What induces the benefit in ketogenic [high-fat, low-carb] diets and fasting diets is that stress is put on the body. Animal data are useful for directing researchers on what type of studies they should do in humans, but it should be human data that are used to direct human behaviour and human choices and human health interventions."
Longo wants to live to 120-130 years old through his fasting-mimicking diet and scientific breakthroughs, believing this could create a division between two populations - one living as we do now and reaching about 80 or longer, and another following longevity diets and living to 100 or 110 in relative good health.
For his latest study, Longo sought to recruit over 500 volunteers in the Varapodio region of Italy to measure the effects of the fasting-mimicking diet on various aging markers and disease-risk factors. The study faced some initial resistance from the local community, with some older residents expressing skepticism about the need for such interventions.
Longo's journey has not been without its challenges. Early in his career, his research on the role of sugar and oxidation in yeast cell aging was rejected by his peers, who were skeptical of his approach. After years of perseverance, Longo's paper on this topic was eventually published in the prestigious journal Science, establishing him as a pioneer in the field of aging research. Longo's work on the potential of fasting to protect healthy cells and enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy has also attracted significant attention.
The View:
Longo's unwavering commitment to his research and his ambitious vision for his work have been both admirable and controversial. He firmly believes that fasting can be a powerful tool in the fight against aging and various diseases, and he is determined to bring this approach to the masses.
However, Longo's critics raise valid concerns that animal data on the benefits of fasting may not translate directly to humans, and that human data should be used to guide human health interventions. They also argue that Longo's commercial pursuits with L-Nutra, where he openly uses his products in his clinical studies, represent an important conflict of interest. They argue that the existing scientific evidence, while promising, is not yet robust enough to justify the widespread adoption of fasting-mimicking diets as a public health intervention.
One of the key points of debate is the concept of "established markers for aging" that Longo uses as a basis for his research. Many scientists argue that the validity of these markers is still heavily debated within the scientific community, and that more robust evidence is needed to conclusively link them to the aging process in humans. This raises concerns about the reliability of the underlying framework that Longo is using to evaluate the potential benefits of fasting-mimicking diets.
Longo's response to these criticisms is that the desperate needs of patients with terminal illnesses justify a more aggressive approach to exploring potential treatments, even if they have not been rigorously tested. As Longo's longevity study in Varapodio continues to progress, the scientific community will closely monitor the results, which could provide valuable insights into the long-term effects of fasting-mimicking diets on human health and aging.
The outcome of this study, as well as the ongoing debate surrounding Longo's work and the validity of his key concepts, will undoubtedly shape the future of this field and its potential impact on public health.
TLDR:
Valter Longo, a renowned biologist, has dedicated his career to exploring the potential of fasting for extending human lifespan and improving health.
Longo's research has shown that short-term fasting can activate stem cells and trigger autophagy, a process where cells recycle their damaged parts and rejuvenate.
The idea of fasting having therapeutic value dates back to ancient scholars, but the field was largely dismissed for decades before experiencing a resurgence in recent years.
Longo has translated his research into self-help books and a business venture called L-Nutra, which offers a fasting-mimicking diet product called ProLon 5-Day Diet.
Longo's approach has faced skepticism from other scientists who believe he is moving too quickly in a nascent field and has too many conflicts of interest due to his direct involvement in the clinical trials of his own product.
Some scientists argue that the restrictive nature of fasting-mimicking diets can endanger long-term health, especially for those with chronic diseases.
Longo's latest study in the Varapodio region of Italy aims to measure the effects of the fasting-mimicking diet on various aging markers and disease-risk factors, but it has faced initial resistance from the local community.
The ongoing debate surrounding Longo's work and the validity of his key concepts will shape the future of this field and its potential impact on public health.
Learn More:
Valter Longo at ARDD2023: Fasting Mimicking Diets, Multi-system regeneration and Longevity
Fasting & Nutrition Protocols for Longevity & Disease Prevention w/ Valter Longo | Rich Roll Podcast
Insights From:
Can fasting help you live to 100? - The Economist
To Live Past 100, Mangia a Lot Less: Italian Expert’s Ideas on Aging - The New York Times