Why the Fasting-Mimicking Diet Could Support Longer Lifespan
The Fasting-Mimicking Diet is a form of modified fasting that involves consuming small amounts of nutrient-dense food over a specific period. This approach to eating allows you to reap the health benefits associated with traditional fasting without having to completely abstain from food.
Fasting is difficult for many, for a wide variety of reasons, not the least of which is that the drive to eat is hardwired into our brains. Fasting certainly has benefits, but some bodies simply never adapt to restricted eating windows, feeling consistently hungry, irritable, fatigued, and weak.
The FMD was developed following decades of research on aging, nutrition, and disease. It involves a combination of an easy-to-follow "everyday" diet along with short periods of restricted eating. This combination is thought to be the key to living healthfully for an extended number of years.
The Fasting Mimicking Diet (FMD) is a nutritional program developed by Dr. Valter Longo to achieve the benefits of fasting or caloric restriction while still providing the body with essential nutrients. It typically lasts for 5 days, during which calorie intake is significantly reduced but not eliminated.
The goal is to induce the body's fasting mode, promoting beneficial changes such as cellular rejuvenation, improved metabolic markers, and decreased risk factors related to aging and lifestyle diseases. It’s remarkably beneficial for those concerned with protecting heart and brain health.
The FMD works by reducing the body's intake of proteins and sugars and increasing the intake of healthy fats and plant-based foods. These dietary changes have been shown to trigger a variety of beneficial biological responses in the body, including the activation of cellular stress response pathways and autophagy.
Given the recent research regarding excess leucine and isoleucine being problematic for longevity, and the prior studies on methionine with similar results, the reduction in protein intake could be one mechanism this periodic fasting protocol exerts its beneficial effects.
The FMD differs from other forms of fasting, such as intermittent fasting (IF), in several ways. While IF involves periods of complete abstention from food, the FMD allows for the consumption of small amounts of nutrient-rich food during the fasting period.
Furthermore, the FMD is typically practiced for five consecutive days, making it potentially easier to adhere to than other fasting diets which may require longer fasting periods or more frequent fasting cycles.
The Fasting-Mimicking Diet Meal Plan
The FMD typically lasts for five consecutive days and involves a very low-calorie, low-protein meal plan. During these five days, the diet provides specific macro- and micronutrient amounts:
- 43 to 47% of your daily intake should come from carbohydrates
- 44 to 46% should come from fats
- 9 to 11% should come from proteins
On the first day, you consume about 1,100 calories. For the remaining four days, your daily caloric intake drops to approximately 725 calories. After the five-day period, you return to your regular eating pattern for the rest of the month.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
This interview between Drs. Valter Longo and Rhonda Patrick gets into the details of how to approach an FMD, as well as the benefits that are common for those choosing this way of eating.
