The Fast-Mimicking Diet - with Dr. Valter Longo | The Empowering Neurologist EP. 59

There is clear scientific evidence that supports the idea that lifestyle interventions like caloric restriction, fasting, and a ketogenic support the health of positive gene pathways, enhance the production of endogenous stem cells, power up the brain, increase the production of antioxidants, and even reduce inflammation.
But there is no doubt that implementing these ideas, in terms of creating a workable diet, may well prove challenging.
Our guest today on The Empowering Neurologist is Valter Longo, PhD. Dr. Longo has created a new dietary approach that in many ways mimics the effectiveness of the more difficult approaches described above, but at the same time is much easier to implement. He calls this diet the Fasting-Mimicking Diet, or FMD, and it is described in great detail in his new, best-selling book, The Longevity Diet.
Let me tell you a little bit about Dr. Longo. He is the Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences, and Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California - Davis School of Gerontology, Los Angeles. He is also a Senior Group Leader at the IFOM, the FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology Foundation and holds four professorships across top EU academic centers.
Dr. Longo’s studies focus on the fundamental mechanisms of aging in simple organisms, mice and humans. The Longo laboratory has identified several genetic pathways that regulate aging in simple organisms and reduce the incidence of multiple diseases in mice and humans. His laboratory also described both dietary and genetic interventions that could reverse the course of Diabetes and Alzheimer’s and protect cells and improve the treatment of cancer and other diseases in mammals. Dr. Longo’s most recent studies are on dietary interventions that can affect stem cell-based regeneration to promote longevity in mice and humans. The Longevity Institute in Los Angeles, directed by Dr. Longo, includes over 40 faculty members focused on topics ranging from regeneration to dietary interventions aimed at improving health and lifespan in the near future. Among the accolades received by Dr. Longo are the 2010 Nathan Shock Lecture Award from the National Institute on Aging (NIA/NIH) and the 2013 Vincent Cristofalo “Rising Star” Award in Aging Research from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR).
Dr. Longo is recognized as a global leader in aging and nutrition. With more than 106 peer reviewed publications in journals like Science, Nature, Cell, JAMA, Circulation, Cancer Cell, Journal of Translational Medicine, etc. He is recognized by Time Magazine, with three features in less than two years, as Longevity Guru. He is one of the most recently featured scientists by global media and news feeds.
Dr. Longo was born and raised in Genoa, Italy and received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas, where he majored in biochemistry with a minor in jazz performance. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1997 and his postdoctoral training in the Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer’s Diseases at USC. He started his independent career in 2000 at the University of Southern California, School of Gerontology, one of the first and leading programs for aging research and education.
Today we will explore Dr. Longo’s research that went in to his creation of the fasting mimicking diet. I think you will find this to be a fascinating interview. I would also mention that all of the proceeds from his book, The Longevity Diet, are donated to charities as well as his ongoing research. You can find Dr. Longo, and follow his research, on Facebook.

[@Nilsosmar]

People who've benefited from eating ketogenic diets often have a hard time with some of Dr. Longo's dietary recommendations. But we can still learn from his fantastic work on fasting. As Dr. Jason Fung has said, whatever kind of diet you eat.... carnivore, vegan, ominvore, ketogenic, Mediterranean... you can benefit from doing at least four five day fast per year. The main thing I'm suggesting is that we start with our areas of agreement (the benefits of fasting). We can work out our disagreements about other things (such as what macros people should eat when they're not fasting) as time goes by.

[@IndyRickHikes]

As a lay person who is successfully reversing metabolic syndrome, including T2DM, with dietary intervention and fasting, I have followed Dr. Longo’s work with great interest and admiration for several years. Further, I have read (and re-read) his new book. That said, I want to congratulate Dr. P. on a great interview. It contained sufficient technical depth to further explain the work and book, without losing an observer and lay person like me in the science. Thanks also to Dr. Longo for getting out and explaining his lab’s work to the public. With so many entrenched in various dogmas, this must be uncomfortable at times for him. But his efforts make it possible for us to consume his insights, and apply them where appropriate in the context of our individual circumstances. Thank you!

[@lorettadillon-ham1574]

Dear Dr Pearlmutter, thank you for this wonderful interview.

[@TraceysTracks]

I have MS and am doing this once a month for 7 days. I'm on my third round, it's amazing. TY Dr. Perlmutter for having him on.

Cutting out gluten, dairy, sugar, animal flesh, grains as well I hope. ;-)

Really? People aren't sicker and more unhealthy today than ever in history? - Cancer - up. Heart disease - up. Diabetes - up. Arthritis - up. Autism - up. A little research? You mean obtaining certification in Health and Nutrition like I did years ago? Heed your own advice and do ANY research whatsoever before confronting people who have studied the subject for over 40 years. You sound foolish, but typical. 1) Cooking completely denatured the molecular structure of meat. 2) Meat today has been highly processed with antibiotics, preservative, etc. As well, clearly you're unaware that nearly all meat is treated with toxic substances like bleach before they are sold. And what about cows fed with grain instead of grass? But you knew that already by your brilliant comment. 3) Do you see any other species of meat eaters on earth cooking meat? No, they consume it raw and for very good reason. Do lions, tigers, etc. consume meat that has been fed grains or that consume grasses? THINK and let it be finally.

[@Nilsosmar]

It depends on what you mean by "animal flesh." Dr. Longo, the man being interviewed in this video, doesn't recommend eating red meat. But he does recommend eating fish. He advocates a MOSTLY vegan diet but says clearly that it's important to eat some animal protein. He also advocates drinking goat's milk occasionally.

[@DavidPerlmutterMD]

Glad to know this is working for you Tracey.

[@sportavventuraroma8480]

Longo by The way says The best diet is vegan diet with a little bit of fish. So also grains and legumes

[@Linda-qq5mg]

Thank you once again for another wonderful interview. I admire both of you and your efforts to empower us to make better lifestyle choices!

[@DavidPerlmutterMD]

Thanks for watching!

[@VSS1]

Valter is in the top 5 of the finest anti ageing scientists in the world. Highly knowledgable and a great myth buster.

[@raginald7mars408]

a Myth creator...

[@VSS1]

raginald7 Mars which myth do you think he has created?

[@DavidPerlmutterMD]

Agree!

[@matthewandremink3726]

Right! Which myth? Actually, you should thank your Creator that you are now aware of such a remarkable, innate, self-healing mechanism; medical therapeutics are now changing for the intelligent, compassionate, and forward-thinking physicians!

[@sundrghealth780]

Many thanks for the useful information you've provided.

[@donnerparty1815]

The fasting mimicking diet came about to gain acceptance from the physicians and their patients who cannot fathom water fasting for five days. Water fasting is superior to his fasting Mimicking diet but obviously most people will never attempt a water fast which is actually not difficult.

[@simonharrison8018]

Donner Party he says in this interview that the diet actually is superior as it includes special nutritional tweaks.

[@Kobe29261]

Love Prof Longo's work, especially his insistence on making his interventions as fool-proof and accessible as possible. I do look forward to his findings on what the ultimate horizon is. Presently I sense he doesn't want to 'go too far' but some people do have the discipline to extend lifespan even further given solid clinical evidence. His work gives just about everybody access to some* of the benefits but how much of the 90th percentile+ improvements is forfeited from the trifecta concerns of efficacy, safety and compliance? I mean what more could he find if he had even more motivated people, like his mentor Walford.

[@sjordan7085]

Wow, Dr. Longo just answered my question about visceral fat, before I'd even asked! Yet another reason for me to fast.Thank you!

[@tyronabologna]

Could not believe my dr, Dr. Mark Rodgers MD suggested I read up/follow dr longo!!

[@debbiegriffin3577]

Great interview. Thank you. I am a 51 year old woman with multiple sclerosis and on Tysabri 4 weekly infusions. I have read a lot about fasting and the research of Valter Longo and am convinced that water fasting will help my ms, hopefully remylenation. I have done 2 x 5 day water fasts over the last 2 months and was planning on fasting for days each month until my next MRI in June. (this is when the drs WILL tell me that all my lesions have gone). I hear in this interview though that Dr Longo now suggests 7 day fast for multiple sclerosis which perplexes me as he has always said days. I hope I am not wasting my time.

[@vyovy]

I am not an expert but have read up on Longo and his work. He seems to think that 5 days would probably be good for multiple scelorosis, but that a longer fast (maybe 7 days or maybe a bit longer) could be better. however, they need to do further studies on that. However, even 5 days should help a bit. There are cutrenlty studies occurring in Germany (not by Dr. Longo) on 10 day fasts for multiple sclerosis.

[@Me-nc8pp]

4:33 Start of the interview

[@MrTraceuser]

what a great interview.

[@DavidPerlmutterMD]

It's easy when you're interviewing someone with the knowledge Dr. Longo has!

[@tobiaskevorkazito4072]

Dr. P you inspired me to read Biochemistry before going to bed like you 💪🏻❤️🥊

[@kimberlylacroix953]

Incredible research being done and great information from this interview. Thank you both!

[@peterz53]

@25min. Actually, Eric Verdin of Buck Institute has stated (and written in research) that ketones (BOH) is a signaling molecule and that it appears to have positive epigenetic effects on the sirtuins. And that daily time restricted feeding, which results in a small increase in ketones, likely has some of this effect.

[@mjenk20236]

Excellent interview with the estimable Dr. Longo. Good interview by Dr. Patrick on the Found my Fitness KZbin channel. The most difficult information to tease out is the nature of the refeeding after the fast (or FMD) is completed. Dr. Longo says it is very important in order to get the desired effects, but don't hear much about the constituents of the refeed.

[@peterz53]

I asked Dr. Longo this question after the Patrick Interview. He wrote back "We Are working on that. Right now we don't know but high nourishment is important."

[@drsaravananr]

Two great minds sharing some great info. The interview might appear simple to many. But if we really paid attention, there is some in-between-the-lines info given out by both Dr. Perlmutter and Dr. Longo. Also, i think it is the principles behind the subject matter that we need to absorb from this interview. Beyond that, we should use some creativity in applying what we hear. Thank you both.

[@kakashisensei1713]

Yes

[@jameslongmire13]

Severus Snape is actually a really smart scientist

[@megenberg8]

as a youth eating every 4 to 5 days was the norm for me. i preferred this and was not ever hungry or put out in any way. trim and healthy. ready for a good meal every 5 days or so, which i'd prepare myself, usually a rice, veg, nut dish or a nice root veg soup. during the week, tea w/ or w/o a bit of honey on occasion. i've heard that many women in nyc eat very sparingly during the work week, and enjoy a healthy meal or 2 on the weekend to keep a good figure. my 2 heathly meals came on wed & thur back then.... people around me were always hungry and looking for time to eat... i could only wonder why! this can be a very good, watching your food!

[@davie2983]

Water fasting is fine as long as you watch your body closely.

[@bobcocampo]

Any update?

[@carloss4126]

HI DAVE great interview as usual, you know listen to Valten is come out to me that idea, do you probably have in consideration we talk already about the meaning of shaking hands as a way to interchange good flora between tribes but also probably those small percentage of human population that psychopathic persons you know, serial killers etc --aren't there traces of generic expression? that was triggers for information since millions of years ago when glaciation periods came, and starvation was rally severe, ....also why girls likes skinny guys over obese and vice-versa, Its not a prove beyond the hormonal balance that that man can survive winter with less food and provide her and their kids with scarcely food that spare and be able to go for more hunting.Like I said Dr David After Adan and Eva fail to God we are at our will. Good bless you and your familly and the good Americans

[@sella7211]

it is easy to say dont eat, but the problem is ve have to eat , ai mean, i have a havy work, David Perlmutter, thank you, you sumit upp, the hole picture i mean, sorry four bad spelling iam from sweden

[@mldralex]

Reading this book now. His nutrition advice seems to be much different than Dr. Perlmutter's and others that promote a Paleo/Ancestral diet. I love how he backs up his recommendations with the 5 Pillars, but his conclusions about saturated fat and animal protein confuse me.

[@mldralex]

Dev can you show me some of those double blind studies they have. Not sure you can do too many double blind studies with food lol.

[@kalashnikovcortez1380]

Valter is an advocate of a predominantly plant based diet. He's against a diet heavily based on animal meat. He's the opposite of Pearlmutter.

[@Nilsosmar]

Kalashnikov Cortez, you're right that they disagree about macros, but they agree about the benefits of fasting.

[@chaosordeal294]

Some people have a face for radio, and others have a personality for the printed page.

[@joanbischoff5972]

?!

[@kalashnikovcortez1380]

Just to be clear, Dr Longo supports a plant based diet, not an animal meat based ketogenic diet. Pearlmutter tried to inject in his support for keton bodies and the paleo movement, which is the opposite of the direction of Longo. This must have been a hard interview for Pearlmutter to conduct.

[@AndreaStaskowska]

igh 'll ik yi7ojoku6i opinion 8j lik g7o

[@AndreaStaskowska]

1

[@doradorenbush9111]

Heard Dr. Longo say fasting for more than 12 hours, not a good idea..... so confusing. Also fasting for people over 65 not a good idea. How about, in any interview, separate suggestions for under and over 65 year olds.... we’re also interested in health and longevity.

[@vyovy]

@Dora Dorenbush - I think I know what you are referring. My understanding is that Dr. Longo meant that for every day sustainable "short term" fasting (or what is usually called intermittent fasting), if you go longer than 12 hours a day for a long time it seems you increase your risk of kidney stones. Sot there is a question of trade-off, he is not sure that the benefit you get from a few hours extra of fasting beyond 12 hours, on a daily basis, are worth the risk of the kidney stones and possibly other things. But he does not know the answer. he just raises the question, and states that 12 hours seems optimal to do ever day. But that is different than "prolonged fasting". This is not something one days every day, but rather once every few months. The prolonged fasting-mimicking is over 5 days or longer. So, he is advocating a 12 hour a day fast every day (basically, don't eat for a few hours before sleep and maybe not until an hour or so after sleep), and also prolonged fast-mimicking once every few months. But I am not an expert, but that seems to be what he means.

[@sherryc1068]

Has anyone actually read Dr Longo’s book? I love his research on fasting, but for his longevity diet he advocates a vegan diet, which, as a nutritionist, I have found to be rather damaging to my clients metabolic machinery and immune systems. If you look at his sample diet, he even has a Rice Krispies bar listed for breakfast on week 2, day 5. He also makes a few blanket statements without referencing his source such as on page 64 stating that intermittent fasting with an eating window of 10 hours or less could “possibly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease”. Maybe due to stress? I’d like to see a study on that but didn’t find it when I looked. Again, I love his work on fasting but I would certainly caution someone on the longevity diet, especially those with an autoimmune condition.

[@donnerparty1815]

His fasting Mimicking diet came about because he knew water fasting would not be accepted by physicians and the general public. But if you can do it, Water fast the five days and skip his diet for maximum benefits.

[@m3ade]

I’m guessing you haven’t read his book? He recommends a Pescatarian diet not vegan. But the animal products such as fish and cheese should only be consumed 2-3 times a week. I’ve lent my book to someone so can’t quote the details right now, but generally it is a high legume, vegetable diet with modest amounts of rice/pasta and tiny amount of cheese (not everyday), with fish twice per week. Why don’t you read the book?

[@patmccarty6304]

His book has no Rice Krispies bar! Page 64 of his book is blank. Get the book and read it for yourself!

[@Nilsosmar]

Sherry Campbell, those are valid points. When I tried a vegan diet, I got fat and sick. Adding meat, eggs and raw dairy back in was instrumental in regaining my health. I think the keto community will simply need to agree to disagree with him about food sources and macros. He talks about studies showing possible harm from eating a ketogenic diet; people into ketogenic diets can show studies showing tremendous benefits from ketogenic diets. We can, though, agree about the benefits of prolonged (5-7 day) fasts. He's contributed so much in that area, I don't mind having a disagreement about the other issues.

[@RobertThomas-rc8yq]

He actually promotes pescetarian diet, read his book.

[@leewalker6115]

lehighton The

[@maiwandbanayee7820]

Just eat less and move more. It is all about simply reducing calories. Three hundreds years a go Plato said that eating less, moderate exercise and happiness are the keys to a healthy life.

[@liaborrellirealtor1077]

There is more to it than that. You can eat your daily calorie requirement in garbage. Just because you may be height / weight appropriate doesnt assure you will lead a longer life.

[@ligayaannawi4779]

I would rather listen to Dr. Fung, Dr. Jamnadas, Dr. Lustig, Dr. Perlmutter than Dr. Longo. Isn't he selling products? I do not like what I gained by what he is saying. Dr. Fung and the other doctors I mentioned conducted their own research also.

[@lizaschwartz9419]

Dr. Longo states at the end of the interview that all proceeds from book and product sales go directly into cancer research and clinical studies.

[@raginald7mars408]

It is an EMOTIONAL problem, not a Nutrition problem....The "bad" stuff is much more rewarding and exciting than the mental engineered stuff. To be excited NOW is more rewarding than to live x years longer...

[@jaishankarravindran2242]

Fasting always dosen't give any good results for the deceased.

[@francobonanni3499]

Very difficult to understand Longo's language. He must simplify his language for laymen....not for professional people. He is not practical....what to eat? Vey incomprehensible.

[@cristiancris9378]

Franco Bonanni Just read his new book and you will find what you're looking for ;)

I had no problem understanding him.

[@sandpaper631]

It was very easy to understand lol

[@sharroon7574]

It depends on your level of knowledge. If it's all new to you there is a learning curve.

[@simonharrison8018]

It's set out very clearly in his book.

[@lorettadillon-ham1574]

Dear Dr Pearlmutter, thank you for this wonderful interview.

[@DavidPerlmutterMD]

Thanks for watching Loretta!