A groundbreaking study published in 2017 in JAMA Oncology revealed that women with breast cancer who fasted for 13 hours or more each day experienced a lower risk of cancer recurrence. This finding underscores the potential health benefits of fasting, a concept further advanced by Valter Longo, a renowned researcher in the field of longevity. Longo has developed the Fasting-Mimicking Diet (FMD), a dietary regimen designed to promote health and support cancer treatment.
Valter Longo, who has studied longevity since 1989, is the director of the Longevity Institute at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California-Los Angeles. His Fasting-Mimicking Diet is a five-day program characterized by high unsaturated fats and low calories, protein, and carbohydrates. The regimen involves fasting for 14 hours daily in five-day intervals, which can be particularly beneficial for those adhering to the standard American diet. Longo recommends practicing the FMD two to four times annually for optimal results.
A significant aspect of Longo's diet involves its synergy with chemotherapy. He suggests that cancer patients should fast for about 14 hours a day during these five-day periods to aid their recovery from treatment. However, it is crucial to cease fasting a few days before chemotherapy and resume only after several days post-treatment.
"The 14 hours should not be combined with the actual cancer treatment," said Longo.
Drawing inspiration from Okinawa and Mediterranean diets, FMD emphasizes a diet mainly comprising vegan ingredients, low in fruits but rich in vegetables, tree nuts, whole grains, legumes, and fish consumed three to four times a week. Longo advocates for a balanced intake of protein while minimizing cheese consumption to support longevity.
"You eat, say 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and you fast 8 p.m. to 8 a.m." said Longo, explaining the diet's structure.
Besides nutritional guidelines, Longo's research on animal models like mice has shown that specific diets can repair cells, reduce inflammation, and enhance the efficacy of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Preliminary human data also suggest potential benefits for humans.
"The human data is starting to indicate this is probably true also [in] humans," Longo noted.
Despite promising findings, Longo emphasizes the necessity for further clinical trials to unravel the mechanisms at play in humans.
"Some dietary interventions are much more powerful than we had imagined," said Longo. "But there are more clinical trials needed to know what the mechanisms are in people."
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