Valter Longo, PhD | Fasting for Metabolic Health & Longevity | The Metabolic Link Ep.6

On this week’s episode of The Metabolic Link, we’re sitting down with world-renowned Fasting and Longevity Researcher, Valter Longo, PhD, to explore a variety of topics related to metabolic health including the impact of protein consumption on longevity, the latest research on the fasting mimicking diet in diabetes and Alzheimer’s, the future of metabolic therapies, and how both our host of The Metabolic Link, Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, and Dr. Longo utilize fasting and approach healthy eating in their own lives.
Dr. Valter Longo has thirty years of experience in the field of longevity and healthy eating. He is the Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California - Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Los Angeles, and the Director of the Longevity and Cancer Program at the IFOM, The Italian Foundation for Cancer Research (FIRC) Institute of Molecular Oncology in Milan, Italy. He is the author of the best seller “The Longevity Diet” and the 2 Italian books “Alla tavola della longevità” (“At the Table of Longevity”), and “La longevità inizia da bambini” (“Longevity Begins in Childhood”). Professor Longo is also the scientific director of the Create Cures Foundation and the Valter Longo Foundation. In 2018, TIME Magazine named Professor Longo as one of the 50 most influential people in health care for his research on fasting-mimicking diets as a way to improve health and prevent diseases.
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[@kardste8114]

There are Very few doctors or researchers willing to set up a dietary clinic at Low Cost to help people. Especially in the USA. Thank you Dr Longo!!

[@sjordan7085]

I cannot think of a more important topic for human health, or a more qualified expert. Dr. Longo is a shining star. His humility, compassion and intelligence make him a gift to us all. Every interview with him is a feast for one's mind. Life changing! He's my absolute favourite! Thank you.

[@cherilynroyall933]

DR, LONGO IS ONE OF THE BEST..... ❤ FROM LONDON UK....CHERILYN X

[@lorenal6137]

Great interview 👍 As always. Dr. Longo is a breath of fresh air. Love his ability to explain without prejudice, just relates actual long-term studies and presents possible risks and outcomes while emphasizing that any protocol you choose has to be maintainable. If you can’t adhere to it it's useless.

[@anastasiailieva7800]

He is a Nobel Prize nominee, right? Well-deserved, a real pro in his field. And I just love the idea of a gentle, moderate approach to fasting or diet & lifestyle changes. A question: can the research in microbiome be considered in the longevity studies in the future? E.g., it is now well known that amino acids (esp BCAAs), when consumed in excess, stimulate insulin release with all the negative consequences associated thereof. From microbiome-centered point of view, amino acids reaching the gut cause production of microbial indole and, consequently, indoxyl sulfate (a strong uremic toxin and a deleterious factor in exacerbating CKD) production in the liver...so we have double trouble here...

[@Andrefa75]

This is one of the best interviews to prof Longo that I have seen. Loved it, thank you!

[@fabioalbertogattei8521]

thank you very much to both of you and happy to see some good rappresentatives of Italy.Thank you dr D'agostino for being so humble and empatic you have an inner delicate energy

[@thefisherking78]

37:40 I think it's more likely that skipping breakfast produces lower energy expenditure and increased hunger IN THE CONTEXT of people habituated to a high carb diet and constant eating. When I started playing around with IF and LCHF, the first thing I did was just gradually start eating later in the day until I was going 16-20 most days without calories. My energy, weight management, and blood work all improved in lockstep. And I'm NEVER hungry in the morning.

[@K_F_fox]

There's also "this is the best thing for people to do" and "this is the best thing for people to do to manage disordered eating," so I do OMAD because "One Meal And Done" means I can spend 18-36 hours without having to deal with the obsessive thoughts surrounding food.

[@sleepinglaffey3886]

Are you trying to blame the fasting for what the PUFAs and nighttime eating did? - Meat based KD sprinter

[@cattleprods911]

Ty Dr. Tom/Dr. Valter...excellent talk.

[@annburge291]

Really valuable and life changing information. Thankyou for sharing and not keeping it a conversation between two specialists.

[@kajusbajus]

What has worked best for me is omad in the middle of the day.

[@annenittis6506]

I agree but am unable to due to family conflict constraints and other issue. Well done for making the change 🎉

[@AZtoNC]

Same here, I also make sure my one meal is consumed before it’s dark. Keeps me out of the kitchen inn the evening lol, when I’m the weakest. I’ve never been the breakfast type so OMAD was pretty easy to get used too

[@jellybeanvinkler4878]

​@@annenittis6506right... easy if you live alone! Or at least, eat alone.

[@Juniperlaneestatesales]

So now I am renewing my pubmed access to read these studies to analyze and extrapolate for myself.... I want to host a panel discussion with him and a few others to discuss these and other topics. Intrigued.

[@aurapopescu1875]

Underwhelming, and that's an understatement...

[@anahhungria]

And on top of all that, the foundation has a program to allow low income patients to have help for a decreased fee or even free, depending on their income.

[@TheFarmersWife1]

Did Dr. Longo’s keynote from a previous MHS get recorded? Is it available to view, please?

[@HankAstral]

Love all your work and Longo has done great work on fasting BUT at around 17:00 he says that ‘Sometimes the cancer loves the ketone bodies’. WTF!? If this is true then patients on keto for cancer need to know about the studies he is referring to.

[@dr.christianubilla]

I wish to know thoughts of Bart Kay about this interview.

[@joec1212]

If I didnt enjoy decent amounts of caffeine in the morning....I couldnt imagine waiting until late in the day to eat.

[@MariaRodriguez-gc9jk]

And monetizing as well!

[@ohrein]

This fasting mimicking diet was created to sell you some expensive veggy powders. Fasting has a lot of benefits. What happening in the body in the fasting state? What the body 'eats' in this state? -- It eats its fat researves as a sourse of energy and demaged cells as a sourse of protein, right? So how can we mimick this if only water fasting is too hard? what about a little bit of aminal fat (a tea spone of ghee, for instance) instead of veggy powder? It will still be very little calories, it will not triger insulin secretion, it will be much more satisfying, and it will cost you almost nothing. I've tried Longo's diet -- I felt extremely hungry and hated everything around me. Recently I did 3.5 day water fasting with some ghee and salt -- almost no hunger, clear mind, full of energy. And after I stayed in ketosis eating only hight fat aminal based food (meat, fish, eggs, cheese, cream, butter, ghee) and hunger doesn't bother me at all -- I eat only because it's time to eat and I don't need to lose any weight.

[@joecaner]

_"An AI controlled, wearable device; that could be the future."_ God. I hope not.

[@qefserepulatani4303]

He is basically saying keep a 12 hour fasting window and do the prolong mimicking every 3 mos. What about autophagy fasting and all the other benefits a 17hr ,24 hr or 72 have? This is very overwhelming. I wish Thomas Seyfried was in this discussion as well. Protein cycling will help aid with fat loss as well but now we have to watch the IGF1 and keep within normal range. So much confusion.

[@nickseccombe1357]

The periodic 5 day FMD plus easy 12 hour daily feeding window plus mainly plant based diet provides an optimal and pragmatic fasting regime to be used in place of other types of fasting eg 5:2, 3 day water, OMAD, etc. Clinically proven to have huge benefits and the 5 day time frame gives 3 good days of extensive autophagy (with 2 days to fully kick in). Plus your IGF-1 comes down long term. The worse health you have, the more benefit you get from it, otherwise twice yearly preventive maintenance to dredge out damaged and pre-cancerous cells. I have always done it when the clocks change as a reminder and I actually look forward to it these days.

[@sleepinglaffey3886]

Longo is treading on doctor politics and cancer patients who cannot give up food. He had to compromise in that area. Also. that would be Methionine. BCAAs which activate MTOR via the Amino acid pool. - Meat based KD sprinter

[@ruthlopez288]

Dr Longo your Longevity diet foods are italian cuisine, with ingredients impossible to find in Guatemala, specially in some rural areas where I live, besides I really dislike sea food like octopus, anchovies, sardines, etc. And you use herbs and flours that are not found in here. Do you have substitutions for such meals? I would never be able to follow this diet as it is, for life. I am very interested in your expert advice and lifetime guidelines. Thanks so much. By the way, I am 67 yo, with liver illness.

[@annburge291]

I'm in Mexico, inland and in the desert with very little variety and I can make it work because I have a garden. I am sure you have all the alternative foods in Guatamala.... lots of green vegetables, edible tree leaves as the main volume bulk food with some corn instead of pasta and wheat bread. Mushrooms and legumes for the majority of protein with some meals having fish, egg, chicken. Non sweet fruit such as tomato, cucumber, pumpkin and a restrained little amount of tropical fruit such as bananas, mango and pineapple. For mono saturated fat you have avocado... but perhaps you need to have sufficient money to be able to buy olive oil. It's getting the idea of what to eat, when to eat and how much that makes the difference.

[@ruthlopez288]

@@annburge291 Your are very kind in taking the time to answer me back about my worries. I just bought the book and hope to get a much better idea on how to implement my health nutrition goals. I live in Rio Dulce which is a paradise on earth, much jungle involved but as dentist my husband and I came to work and help the people of the area and built a dental clinic. Being from the capital city it is very difficult for me to find certain foods and really don't understand much of the ingredients that Dr. Longo suggests (I'm not a good cook!). But you gave me good pointers on how to start with fish, eggs and chicken which I like and I´m familiar with different dishes. Thanks again for your help Ann and have a pleasent journey to longevity!

[@ohrein]

In the fasting state the body 'eats' its own fat for energy and damaged cells for protein. So to mimick this state you don't need any fancy herbs or expensive veggy powders. All you need is salt (to keep water salt balance) and a little bit of animal fat just to accelerate your fat-burning fire and make fasting easier.

[@sebastianhoracioforondagon8813]

His investigation on nutrition is so biased, just eat a local diet.

[@candrad]

I just wish I could afford the Prolon price!

[@vibrantly50]

I do a fasting day with only fat (butter) as a support. I stay under 400-500 cal. and it has no effect on my ketones or glucose. (Butter in my decaf coffee a few times a day - small portion of pork rinds) Or, try a Sardine fast. 72 hours eating a can of sardines (can pan fry) when truly hungry. Very affordable alternatives. 😉

[@sleepinglaffey3886]

​@@vibrantly50You will lose the benefits of stem cell activation and pluripotency doing a sardine fast. Methionine and BCAAs. but any protein can activate MTOR via the Amino acid pool that will jack up IGF 1 and PKA to inhibit the regeneration phase. You're better off doing a pure fat FMD cycle. - Meat based KD sprinter

[@thefisherking78]

Lol limit eggs to 2-3 a week. How about 2-3 a day 😂

[@marianne1959]

Agree!! Age 64 and reversed t2d eating way more eggs than that! Best labs of my life

[@parapoliticos52]

The real threat is in the feeds, and all the chemicals that are in them. If you have free range chicken that feed from the land, then eat as much as you want.

[@thefisherking78]

@@parapoliticos52 I buy free range at a minimum and pastured when possible

[@EynOdMilevado]

The idea is to limit protein because the growth factor being elevated presents health risks such as tumors growing more easily. After the age of 65 when the growth factor reduces naturally he says one can have more protein but before 65 he advises fish and plant based proteins in moderation

[@jellybeanvinkler4878]

​@@EynOdMilevadoso are you saying (that he is saying) more than 2 or 3 eggs per week raise the growth factors so much as to raise the risk of cancer. I wish he had expanded on his answer of "more than 2-3 and trouble starts." I have my own chickens. And though I give far more eggs away than I eat, I still eat more than 2-3 per week. Maybe 6 -8 or more. Being the perfect food, I fi d it hard to believe that eggs are problematic. Though I do have a plant based friend that has chickens who won't touch her own eggs because they are "cancer causing." She sent me a study as proof, based in Uruguay, I believe. Couldn't make heads nor tails of it. It is all moot for me at 67, anyway. I will eat my steak n eggs and not worry too much. 😊

[@parapoliticos52]

''Epidemiological studies'' ''Vegan live longer(aka 7th day adventist studies)'' The saga that wont die down. Comparing health focused agriculturalist religious communities with people eating at Mcdonalds and calling the later high protein diet.

[@sleepinglaffey3886]

Doesn't explain why the GHRD freaks live longer. or why the bodybuilders appear lean but pile on visceral fat within leading to the bubble gut. or why the high protein athletes lose form and ultimately retire in their 30s. Oh wait. you're another carnivore cultist along with the vegan cultists who have strokes trying to rationalize away the Kitavans. lean 1983 chinese or the 1970s French paradox. do you? BTFO. - Meat based KD sprinter

[@katniss4670]

Why mimic fasting rather than actually fasting ? It’s not that hard to fast for 3-5 days .

[@chuckleezodiac24]

why fast for 3-5 days? it's not that hard to mimic fasting.

[@katniss4670]

@@chuckleezodiac24 It is harder to mimic fasting especially if you don’t want to buy Longo’s unappetizing powdered soups and nut bars . Water fasting is free and easy to do .

[@chuckleezodiac24]

@@katniss4670 it depends on the person. mimic fasting comes easily and naturally for me. not interested in Dr. Longo's products. i'm at a normal weight and without any health problems. do you water fast for weight loss or autophagy / longevity benefits? do notice or feel any difference after a water fast?

[@katniss4670]

@@chuckleezodiac24 It’s great that you have no weight or health issues, and are being proactive in maintaining your health . I’m not so fortunate and was not good about caring for myself , so now I fast for all the reasons you mentioned above , as well as specific health problems . I practice IF most of the time and do 3-5 day water fasts every couple months . I find that they help lower inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity and jump start weight loss when I reach a plateau.

[@chuckleezodiac24]

@@katniss4670 thanks for responding. i guess i'm just a wimp when it comes to fasting. the longest i've gone is 24 hrs. didn't like it. i prefer to eat a little bit, rather than not at all. i vary my calorie intake and IF schedule as much as possible. to keep the body guessing. all the best to you.

[@awesometulips9427]

This is such a narrow-minded understanding of a carnivore way of eating by two of my favorite researchers 😮 No, carnivores don't eat only protein but protein and animal fats and that makes a huge difference. I wish Dr Paul Mason and Dr Chaffee could be responding here 😂😂😂

[@faimohkihfaimohkih8223]

He totally dodged the question on whether calorie intake was equated for in those studies he mentioned comparing his FMD to Mediterranean and other diets. If they weren’t equated for then they’re practically meaningless studies

[@AceKinG2024]

This guy is a scam.

[@marj8885]

It was very interesting to hear about the calorie restrictions, but I was disappointed how he didn't feel the need. We have to eat more animal proteins. I listened to Ben Bikman so many times, and I truly believe his views regarding where the proteins should come from. While I also don't feel the standardized meals. We are different. Our own body changes. How can we use the same tools for everyone? Intermittent fasting can be different for everyone. The important thing is to keep what works best and listen to your body.

[@faimohkihfaimohkih8223]

I respect Longo in certain aspects but he is completely blinded by his own bias. He says “we do know” the effects of a carnivore diet long term yet he uses high protein diets as an example when they’re completely different. He just lumps everything that doesn’t fall into his recommended diet into the same category

[@AceKinG2024]

So everyone can buy his book and keep getting funds

[@mybobalu2]

I think a lot of people are that way.

[@jellybeanvinkler4878]

But then he added the Vegas analogy, and admitted they might be winners in the end! 🤷‍♀️ I think some science is discovering that in the absence of one macronutrient, the body's systems may behave differently. Up to now, most studies involve degrees of omnivore diets only. Low carb may be considered, for example, 36% carbs. To the low carb folks, that is ridiculously high carb. And would be death to keto. And some may consider a carnivore diet as someone who eats a huge steak with their mashed potatoes and gravy every night. So far as I know, the only true vegan blue zone is Loma Linda Adventists. And many are not true vegans. And the only carnivore culture was the Inuit. And they were not truly 100% carnivore. Personally, I feel living in a low stress, communal temperate paradise is more helpful in extending lifespan than anything we might or might not be eating.

[@sleepinglaffey3886]

​@jellybeanvinkler4878 That would be methionine and BCAAs which activate MTOR via the amino acid pool. I would consider a low protein. superb high fat dairy based keto diet along with a very strict IF (20:4) window and zero protein. modified keto FMD cycles to be the gold standard. - Meat based KD sprinter

[@traceler]

Big conflict of interest and little of bias.

[@NoPronoun224]

I’d like the studies quoted to cite the causes of mortality in their results. The soft end points make most of these studies inconclusive to me, and the presentation, without a comparison chart is confusing. I’d like to hear Lustig, Bickman, Noakes, Fung’s opinions on this topic. And I agree that the FMD as a product makes me suspicious of results.

[@baranjan4172]

The carnivore diet does not have to be a high protein all meat diet. 80% of the energy intake should be in the form of fat. Whether that's pork knuckles or chicken breast with butter or high fat cream, you decide. Check the special diet of epileptic children who as a last resort when no treatment helps go on a zero carb diet. It's sustainable and safe. I bet the studies showing the deleterious effects of a high protein diet were not done on pure carnivores. It's always the rest of the stuff that goes with the meat, not the meat.

[@petermathieson5692]

Red meat is to be avoided... so how did our ancestors get us here, the ones who gifted us our physiology for millennia prior to the invention of agriculture?

[@ranghashalatr142]

On where use it

[@AceKinG2024]

There is nothing called a fast mimicking diet. Either you fast or you eat. It is a term created by longo to promote his book

[@K_F_fox]

Depends on what you mean by mimic, doesn't it? If it's a low insulin, low mTOR, high AMPk state, then it's mimicking those aspects of fasting, isn't it?

[@thefisherking78]

It depends on what effects you're mimicking. You absolutely can get various levels of the same benefits as fasting while still consuming certain things in controlled quantities. It depends on which benefits you want, but mimicking is absolutely a thing. I don't do FMD nor do I promote it, those are just the facts

[@reinerschafer1708]

In 1921 Dr. Russel Wilder designed the keto diet to mimic fasting for children who suffered from epileptic seizures. It was specifically designed because it was known that fasting eliminated or reduced the number of seizures, but fasting isn't a very good long term strategy for obvious reasons. Therefore the ketogenic diet was developed to mimic fasting. It may not be called a "fasting mimicking diet", but it is a fasting mimicking diet.

[@abdelilahbenahmed4350]

The term "fast mimicking diet" has admittedly created by D LONGO not for promoting his book, whose the revenues earned from,are donated to charity. Classical or traditional fast maybe difficult or even dangerous for some people and in certain conditions. That's why Dr LOngo has created the "Fast mimicking diet" and numerous studies has shown the effectiveness of this regimen.

[@sleepinglaffey3886]

​@K_F_fox More specifically it's methionine and BCAAs or sufficient proteins that kick you out via the Amino acid pool activating MTOR. I do Bulletproof pure fat FMDs to avoid having to extend the fast and keep it within 3 days. - Meat based KD sprinter

[@sebastianhoracioforondagon8813]

Longo has a big bias around nutrition, high protein and other dumb stuffs

[@ranghashalatr142]

Longvity is fucking news