People on the intermittent fasting diet live longer

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Sentry18

Sentry18

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https://nypost.com/2019/12/26/people-on-the-intermittent-fasting-diet-live-longer-study/

People on the intermittent fasting diet live longer: study
By Hannah Frishberg

December 26, 2019 | 12:40pm

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Looking for a New Year’s resolution diet?

A new study points to one that’s been especially trendy, especially among those who hope to live long, healthy lives. Intermittent fasting, which commonly means fasting for 18 hours or more a day, can help people lose weight, live longer and fight diseases, a Johns Hopkins Medicine neuroscientist suggests in a new paper.

Published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the review article by professor Mark Mattson, Ph.D., provides evidence that the dieting tactic — which has become popular in recent years, including among locals — “could be part of a healthy lifestyle,” and even make fasters live longer, he writes.

Mattson, who has been studying intermittent fasting for 25 years and intermittently fasting himself for 20, writes that there’s increasing evidence that the tactic can provide “increased stress resistance, increased longevity and a decreased incidence of diseases, including cancer and obesity,” according to the paper, “Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Health, Aging, and Disease.”

He adds that fasting can improve blood sugar regulation and effect better suppression of both inflammation and stress. It can also benefit brain health, Mattson writes, citing previous clinical, pre-clinical and animal studies.

Mattson defines intermittent fasting diets as consisting of either having daily 6-to-8-hour eating windows, or eating only one moderate-sized meal two days out of the week (called 5:2 fasting).

By alternating the times of fasting, Mattson writes, studies have found that an ancient human adaptation for food scarcity is triggered, and cells begin converting fat into energy — a change that is not triggered by the average American diet of three meals a day, plus snacks. But, he adds, scientists still don’t “fully understand the specific mechanisms of metabolic switching,” and the diet isn’t for everyone.

Still, Mattson argues that intermittent fasting is worthy of being a part of the mainstream diet discourse.

“We are at a transition point where we could soon consider adding information about intermittent fasting to medical school curricula alongside standard advice about healthy diets and exercise,” he says.

Even for those who are open to the idea of giving up food for extended periods, there are definite side effects.

“Patients should be advised that feeling hungry and irritable is common initially and usually passes after two weeks to a month as the body and brain become accustomed to the new habit,” Mattson says, encouraging a gradual acclimation to fasting rather than going “cold turkey” with it.

Mattson hopes his paper will give better insight to physicians, who can pass that guidance on to their patients.
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I wonder how long a person has to intermittent fast before seeing the result of living longer? There are so many different ways to do intermittent fasting that I wonder how the study compares them all? There's the eating window approach, the 5:2 approach, and there's also some that just do longer fasts on occasion. It seems like it would be difficult to look at all these groups and make conclusions. And that's actually the thing I like about IF. You can pick and choose what works for you and change it up every now and then too and still get some nice results. I have been toying with IF for a while now and I like how adaptable it is. In fact today I fasted for about 16 hrs. I was going to do a 2 day fast starting last night, but I got that pre-migrane fog (I believe weather related) in my head and decided to break the fast early. I might pick it back up tomorrow depending upon how I feel. Still, even a 16-24 hour fast a couple days a week has been beneficial for me.

Exerpt: “We are at a transition point where we could soon consider adding information about intermittent fasting to medical school curricula alongside standard advice about healthy diets and exercise,” he says.

I think that is way overdue! Blending IF with Keto (or even low carb) has been amazing for me and hubs too. When you take the naughty carbs out of the diet, the hormones work a whole lot better and it makes it much easier to dabble with IF b/c of the reduction in hunger. We both also have a whole lot less aches and pains, I think due to the anti-inflammatory effects of our eating habits combined with IF. I'd love to see IF go mainstream. It has widespread health benefits and encourages a smaller carbon footprint to whomever practices it. It also costs nothing! It's not as hard as most people think it is. I encourage it to anyone who will listen.
 
I personally believe to get the health improving benefits, sans weight loss and hormone control, you need to fast long enough to get into autophagy. And for those who don't know autophagy is essentially putting your body into self cleaning and repair mode when it comes to cells, it also boosts immunity, controls inflammation, and reduces your risk of cancer. That means 16-18 hours minimum, but I believe it really kicks in after 24 hours. When I am fasting for autophagy I will fast on Mondays and Thursdays, essentially giving me two 48 hour fasts that week. That being said if you are fasting 16-18 hour a day you are still getting the benefits of autophagy.
 
I think you are right Sentry in that autophagy is definitely more intense the longer the fast is. I think that's why Dr. Fung recommends a long fast (up to a week or so) at least once per year to protect against cancer. However, if a person can't do that, I still think any amount of fasting that they can do is most certainly better than nothing.

However, I have definitely experienced the weight loss and hormone control with the shorter fasts as well. If I get to a plateau, I throw in a longer 2-3 day fast and that will move the needle on the scale. After I break the fast, I have noticed that the weight will come back on, but then within a few weeks it heads back to that lower number. In addition, after a higher carb day, I typically find a nice surprise on the scale a day or so after. This is the technique the gym rats use called carb cycling. It works even when the carbs you eat aren't necessarily healthy. I had some not so healthy cheats over the holidays and the scale didn't punnish me for it.:D With IF and low carb, I don't think you have to be perfect, just mostly consistent.
 
I do many 24 hour fasts. Usually 9ne meal a day. I have done one 48 hour fast and right now I am 40 hours into a 72 hour fast. Only intake is water and salt.

As of this morning, I am under 250 lbs for the first time in decades.

This is the cheapest diet in the world. I am eating carnivore but because your eating is spread out so much, it is actually cheaper. Say you eat a pound of meat then nothing for 24 to 72+ hours, your food costs go way down.

Say whatever I eat costs $5 per pound and you eat 7 days a week it costs you $35 for the week. One 72 hour fast drops that to $25 for the week. See what big food has done to us? I spend in one month what I used to spend in a week.
 
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I have not fasted for a very long time, but it is good to hear that there may be some benefits to it. I have been considering it for some time. I will only speak for myself, but it would not kill me to miss a meal or two once in a while; even once in a regular while.
 
When I started out Keto I was not a huge fan. Once I fully adapted I felt so much better ALL of the time I began to truly understand the benefits. Eventually fasting came in to play, in part because of the health benefits and in part because you truly learn when you are "hungry" and when you just feel like eating. And also because sometimes I am just not hungry for 1-3 days. Now when people ask about my diet I tell them I eat "premium foods" or I don't eat at all.
 
50 hours down, 22 to go. Still no hunger at all. I am thinking that most of the issues with fasting is mental. Once you can get past that mental need to eat it is a piece of steak(don't eat cake anymore).
 
I laughed because I was thinking of my grandma. She lived to be like, I don't know 95 or something quite old like that. In her last few years, she ate peanuts, cashews, drank ginger ale and coke, because most of the time she didn't want to cook. Poor little thing. She was definitely not overweight. I guess all of that is not on your KETO diet.
 
Patchouli said:
I laughed because I was thinking of my grandma. She lived to be like, I don't know 95 or something quite old like that. In her last few years, she ate peanuts, cashews, drank ginger ale and coke, because most of the time she didn't want to cook. Poor little thing. She was definitely not overweight. I guess all of that is not on your KETO diet.
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Genetics has a lot to do with longevity, even in the face of diet. But research has shown that most things that take us before our normal life spans are up (cancer, heart disease, etc.) are almost entirely related to diet. Fasting is so beneficial because of autophagy, which cleans out our bodies dead and weakened cells. Sort of like spring cleaning for your insides. So combining diet and fasting won't make you live longer than your body was intended to live, but it will greatly reduce the chances of you dying early. Presuming you don't get hit by a bus or something. ;)
 
Finished 40 hour fast today.blood sugars have been under 120 for the last week. Two meds cut out completely and one dosage cut in half.

Had an issue with low blood pressure this last week. Ended up on my back in the yard not knowing how I got there. Now that that is fixed my stamina is coming back and I don't want a nap all the time.

After the incident in the yard I got a blood pressure cuff and recorded a reading of 89 over 55. I have seen the diastolic number at 52.

Keep an eye on your blood pressure, good thing I was not driving.
 
I fast once or twice a month but for spiritual reasons. Usually I don't get past 20 hours.
On a health point of view, the master herbalist, Dr John Christopher, recommended a 3 day fast when starting out with cleansing the body and changing the diet, or if you were sick. I did it once his way but I didn't stay busy enough and felt wimpy. However, it also included drinking water or juice if you felt you needed something.
 
When we do extended fasting we will often allow some mid-day bone broth with salt along with water, or just water with a small amount of salt, or pickle juice. My wife will also drink coffee. Those beverages will not alter insulin levels (an essential part of fasting) and the salt will help you avoid any unpleasant feelings. Often people experience low energy, a foggy head, or flu like symptoms and equate them to caloric deficiency. In reality it is your body's response to the sudden drop in sodium intake or the lake of magnesium or both.
 
@Sentry18 do you mean lack of magnesium or lake of magnesium? I hate to assume. I equate foggy head while fasting to low in sugar consumption. I don't drink coffee, at all, ever. Pickle juice sounds like that would be up my alley. that was a joke. sour people. me. haha
I didn't know salt would help and would consider the bone broth over juice or water. Thanks for the tips!
 
Patchouli said:
@Sentry18 do you mean lack of magnesium or lake of magnesium? I hate to assume. I equate foggy head while fasting to low in sugar consumption. I don't drink coffee, at all, ever. Pickle juice sounds like that would be up my alley. that was a joke. sour people. me. haha
I didn't know salt would help and would consider the bone broth over juice or water. Thanks for the tips!
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Well, I do take a lot of magnesium. :)
 
Oh my god, I made chaffles for the first time today. I don't know how you can get any closer to heaven without crossing over.
Wanting a bread substitute I thought what the hell. These are so simple a caveman like me can do it.

2 eggs
1 cup cheese
Heavy cream

Brown in waffle iron.

I topped mine with bacon and smoked cheddar.

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Satchel Paige advised us not to look back, but I have, and there is stuff gaining on me. It's going to beat on me when it catches up, and stuff like dieting is just going to mean I get beat on longer.
 
Well for dinner I made a cheese burger with homemade avacado mayo.
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