Fasting for Anti-Aging and Longevity

In these days of super-sized menus, this excess of food may be increasing obesity rates while decreasing overall life span.
Healthy Couple

In these days of super-sized menus, this excess of food may be increasing obesity rates while decreasing overall life span. Nutritionists and dieting experts who claim that eating five or six smaller meals throughout the day are not helping to correct the balance. When it comes to slowing down aging and living longer, it appears that less may be more. Calorie-restricted diets (CRD) are effective for weight loss, anti-aging, and longevity benefits, but these diets are often hard to stick with, often creating intense cravings or nutrient deficits that may produce other health issues. Research shows that intermittent fasting may be as beneficial as calorie restriction when it comes to producing anti-aging and longevity benefits without creating feelings of deprivation associated with the CRD lifestyle.

Intermittent fasting may help to increase insulin sensitivity, reduce the oxidative stress caused by free radicals, offers protection to DNA strands to lengthen lifespan, and provide the same protective benefits as exercise from stress against cellular damage on a molecular level. This can help reduce age-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and degenerative brain diseases, as well as offer protection from other diseases such as cancer. The cell-protecting benefits of intermittent fasting can also help reduce free radicals associated with aging of all cells, possibly increasing the time frame that you can look and feel younger as you age.

Intermittent fasting is best done during a period when you will not be fighting the urge to eat, such as during the night. One method is to stop eating after dinner and to eat a very late breakfast or wait until lunch to have your first meal. Try fasting for at least 14 or 16 hours, with an 18 hour fasting interval being optimal. Allow yourself a window of 6 to 8 hours in which to eat a healthy and balanced diet to ensure your body will get the nutrients it needs during the day. If you try intermittent fasting for its potential anti-aging benefits, you may also wish to try to go for longer periods as you learn more about the benefits of fasting.

It is important to note that intermittent fasting does not give you free reign to pig out during your eating period. While your body may need more nutrients to make up for fasting, you should still reduce the amount of refined foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value. When you choose to fast, it is important to refuel your body with foods that are rich in nutrients, such as fatty fish, eggs and more vegetables than fruits.

Resources & References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Healthy Aging: Helping People To Live Long and Productive Lives and Enjoy a Good Quality Of Life

Roger Collier (2013); Intermittent fasting: the next big weight loss fad; Canadian Medical Association Journal; 185(8), 321-2. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.109-4437

David Stipp (2012); How Intermittent Fasting Might Help You Live a Longer and Healthier Life; Scientific American 308(1)

10/6/2014 7:00:00 AM
Janet Valenty
Written by Janet Valenty
Former medical technologist with extensive drug testing and clinical chemistry experience. Traded the white coat for a business suit as Director of Marketing of a leading clinical lab with two billion in revenues and left that way back in the 90's. These days, doing more reading and publishing when not chasing grandchild...
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Comments
When I started my medical career, burned out from the training process to become a doc, I joined a comprehensive retreat Health and Growth Center in Southern California, founded by Evarts Loomis (Father of Holistic Medicine and a general surgeon) . This was a full retreat program on nice grounds and fasting was one of the favorite optional programs. Quests were screened by Dr. Loomis medically, and any one with diabetes, malnourishment, or unstable mental health disorders were generally discouraged. A nurse did daily urinalysis and vital sign checks, and guests would fast from 3-10 days.

There were both water and fresh vegetable-broth fasting options.

The purpose of the fast was more spiritual, expanding on centuries of fasting by devout souls. Quests were required to journal, use other methods of personal growth, and met twice a day to group, share, and read inspired texts. Dr. Looms had deep spiritual depth and led most of these groups.

But on top of all this, the physical body generally felt healthier and everybody loved the weight loss. The fatigue of initial fasting first 3 days was replaced by extended enhanced energy. Quests were slowly reintroduced to healthy food over 24-36 hours.

Many guests came back just for the fasting….
Posted by Donald McGee
Read the book, 'The Fast Diet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer." There was actually a series done on it on PBS. He explains the different types of fasting and how they affect health and longevity. GREAT SCIENTIFICALLY BACKED info. You don't fast 16 hours a day, generally. That wasn't one of the recommended protocols. Three consecutive days once a month, 2 (separated) days a week, every other day, were some that I remember. Read the book. Quick read. Easy to read. Several choices to choose from - with pros and cons for each. I have done 2 days a week for 12 years. I look years younger and weigh much less. Healthier than before. Old health issues gone.
Posted by Linda
I have been doing this (the 16 hr fasts).....It does work...every now and then I go off...due to circumstances.....but I have lost 15 lbs. And intend to keep it up...I do try to make my daily diet a healthy one...but still slip up sometimes. I think I have discovered your body needs a break from the fast occasionally in order to loose weight after a plateau.
Posted by swartzie
What happened to the advise to slways start your day with a healthy breakfast? Is that now passeeé?
Posted by Caren

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