Eat less, live longer?

Obesity is one of the greatest enemies of modern humanity. Almost every woman has tried dieting or fasting, and the question of whether calorie control brings health problems is one that people eager to know. Most people perceive dieting as helpful for weight loss, but they are also concerned about the idea of starving that sounds harmful to health.

The answer might surprise you –dieting doesn’t harm your health at all, and it’s even beneficial. Moderate fasting can contribute to better health and even longevity.

This is what I learned from the documentary "Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer." The Horizon series, produced by the BBC, aims to provide a platform for audiences to engage with the world's greatest scientists and philosophers and see how to combine their latest research findings with our daily lives. As one of the episodes titled "BBC Horizon: Diet and Longevity" indicates, fasting is likely to make us live longer.

‘Fast’ to Live longer?

The host of 'Horizon: Eat, Fast and Live Longer' is named Michael, and the program begins with a chance encounter.

During a full marathon, Michael unexpectedly discovered a 101-year-old participant. This elderly man completed the marathon in just over 7 hours, while Michael, who was in his 50s, did not even finish.

After the race, Michael interviewed the 101-year-old man, seeking to find the reason behind his impressive physical stamina at such an advanced age. To Michael's surprise, the old man's answer was quite simple: eating less!

During the interview, Michael learned that the elderly man consumed merely half the intake of calories of a regular person on a daily basis, equivalent to that of a child. Could this be the reason for his healthy longevity?

With this question in mind, Michael delved into some research and discovered that this phenomenon had been observed over a century ago. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, a period of economic hardship and food scarcity in the United States, the average lifespan surprisingly increased by 6 years.

Animal experiments conducted at Cornell University also supported this conclusion. Mice that were strictly restricted in their diet lived longer than those with a normal diet.

Isn’t it incredible? Michael, too, was curious about the underlying principles behind these phenomena.

To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between low-calorie diets and longevity, Michael visited Professor Luigi Fontana at the University of Washington. For 10 years, Fontana's team had been monitoring and studying a group of individuals who rigorously controlled their daily calorie intake. According to the professor, the behavior patterns of this calorie-restricted group made them look like a different species.

Following this, Michael visited Joe Cordell, an advocate of "strict calorie control." After examining Joe's daily diet, Michael instantly grasped why Professor Fontana referred to them as "non-human."

Every morning, Joe consumed a large bowl of food, entirely consisting of fruits and vegetables. If you were to equate calorie intake with daily expenditure, Joe would be like an expert budgeter: he aimed for each calorie he consumed to have rich nutritional value. For example, he ate only the skin of an apple, as about 95% of the apple's nutrients reside in the skin, while the flesh primarily consists of sugar and water.

Michael doubted about the healthiness of this eating approach and decided to engage in a health challenge with Joe.

In a hospital, both underwent comprehensive health examinations. The results were telling: despite being of similar age, Joe outperformed Michael across the board in terms of balance, reaction time, and body fat percentage. The doctors even praised Joe for having a physical condition comparable to that of a top-tier athlete.

In contrast, Michael received a health warning from the doctors. His body fat percentage was as high as 27.1%, and abdominal fat was 30%. This placed him at a significantly elevated risk for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

How low-calorie diet contributes to better health?

Why does a low-calorie diet contribute to better health? Michael further explored this question by visiting Professor Valter Longo, who dedicated his research to unraveling the mechanisms of aging. In their experiments on growth, Valter Longo's team found that mice under calorie restriction lived longer because their genes underwent changes. The act of fasting significantly lowered their levels of IGF-1, a growth factor that has a direct correlation with longevity.

This research echoed another one on a group of people with dwarfism in Ecuador. Despite their small stature and less-than-ideal lifestyles, they had remarkably longer lifespans than the norm. Ultimately, the study revealed that their longevity was primarily attributed to extremely low levels of IGF-1 in their bodies. Lower levels of growth factors in the blood significantly reduced the occurrence of cancer and other diseases.

After discovering the significant impact of calorie restriction on health, Michael decided to personally try fasting to see if it could indeed lower his IGF-1 levels. The results were astonishing – in just three and a half days of fasting, his growth factor levels dropped by nearly 50%.

However, fasting was too challenging for Michael to sustain. Therefore, he explored and discovered intermittent fasting that might be more manageable for the general population. One approach is alternate-day fasting, where practitioners consume only 500 calories on fasting days and eat as desired on non-fasting days. While some people might tend to eat more on non-fasting days due to the fasting periods, their average caloric intake remains around 110% of normal.

It seems clear that there is ample evidence indicating that calorie control is beneficial for our health and longevity. But here comes another question: how can one apply this knowledge in daily life?

Intermittent fasting, particularly the 5-2 method, where individuals eat normally for five days a week and fast for two days (consuming only breakfast on fasting days), is recommended by experts. As the documentary drew to a close, Michael also decided to adopt this method. After five weeks, he lost 12 pounds, his growth factor levels decreased by half, and his blood sugar and cholesterol levels returned to normal.

The results are indeed exciting. If you're looking to enhance your health and longevity, eating less could be the way to go. However, it's important to note that fasting is generally recommended for healthy individuals and is best undertaken under the supervision of a doctor. Pregnant individuals and those with low body weight are advised not to engage in fasting.

Please remember that experiences with fasting can vary, and it's always wise to consult a medical professional before making any significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.