Posted on 04/25/2024 6:48:53 AM PDT by Cronos
If you put a lab mouse on a diet, cutting the animal’s caloric intake by 30 to 40 percent, it will live, on average, about 30 percent longer. The calorie restriction, as the intervention is technically called, can’t be so extreme that the animal is malnourished, but it should be aggressive enough to trigger some key biological changes....
Scientists first discovered this phenomenon in the 1930s, The subsequent studies also found that many of the calorie-restricted animals were less likely to develop cancer and other chronic diseases related to aging.
... In the wild, animals experience periods of feast and famine, as did our human ancestors. Therefore, their (and conceivably our) biology evolved to survive and thrive not only during seasons of abundance, but also seasons of deprivation.
One theory is that, on a cellular level, calorie restriction makes animals more resilient to physical stressors. For example, calorie-restricted mice have greater resistance to toxins and recover faster from injury,
Another explanation involves the fact that, in both humans and animals, eating fewer calories slows down metabolism. It’s possible that “the less you have to get your body to metabolize, the longer it can live,” said Dr. Kim Huffman, an associate professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine who has studied calorie restriction in people. “You know, just slow the wheels down and the tires will last longer.”
Calorie restriction also forces the body to rely on fuel sources other than glucose, which aging experts think is beneficial for metabolic health and, ultimately, longevity. Several researchers pointed to a process known as autophagy, where the body eats up malfunctioning parts of cells and uses them for energy. This helps cells function better and lowers the risk of several age-related diseases.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
We were never meant to be “cavemen.”
We were designed to live in a garden.
I would also point out that fasting makes one really appreciate the food you get.
During Lent I do fast and after Easter I learnt to appreciate the gifts given by God
>> “You know, just slow the wheels down and the tires will last longer.”
Therefore “Leave the car parked in the garage and the tires will last a really long time!”
But long life isn’t the purpose of the tire. The car is meant to transport people where they need to go at a speed that enables them to use their time for better things than getting from Point A to Point B. And the tires are meant to support that use of the car.
Is there a corollary for fasting? I know that after 24 hours of fasting I do not think as clearly and certainly do not perform at physical tasks with the same performance as when I am adequately fed. Is a long life of reduced performance a noble goal?
I’ve done 14.
Reset my body. Psoriasis disappeared. Knee stopped hurting. Sleep was awesome. Etc.
As someone who has followed a very intense, primarily no-meat, calorie-restricted diet since 2016, I can tell you the question is NOT adding more years, but adding more HEALTHY years.
It works for me! At almost 80 and living on a 1000-calorie-a-day diet for 8 years, I'm still very active, walk three to five miles a day, and continue to work full-time.
I started this for medical reasons. It worked better than expected.
While I fully understand it is not for everyone, it has changed my life. I no longer "live to eat" but "eat to live."
You should try it.
Which is why it's better to do a low-carb diet, so that your body is fat-adapted. Your brain works better on Ketones. It's very difficult to fast if you eat a lot of carbs.
And, I might add, it was an incredibly pleasant aroma. The first thought I had was that I can now understand what sharks must think when they first sense a tiny drop of blood in the water.
I would beg to differ.
Intermittent fasting - at least the style I favor is - eat within a window - I currently do this in a rough 6 hour window from about 12 to about 6 pm.
I feel better and my body fat went down. You can merge this with a more veggies and lean meat choices, but that’s your choice.
That is interesting, could you elaborate?
Another thing is, it saves a LOT of money these days. Especially if you eat more expensive high-quality food.
Mind if I ask - how did this affect your LDL/HDL and insulin sensitivity or other parameters?
I normally fast 16hrs every day and 36hr fasts during Lent and Ember days. I’ve done a 72hr fast once. A couple of days after that, my weightlifting increased and I easily ran 5K(I am not a runner). You really appreciate the gift/ability to eat three meals a day and the spirituality that goes along with it. That chart is interesting. I may do another 3 day fast.
I don’t doubt that some intermittent fasting might be beneficial, after all, most of us do it every night.
But the extreme fasts that are often promoted are just silly. Three days without eating is insane.
I remember a Longevity researcher that was in the public limelight for quite awhile advocating this. I believe he died at around 42 years old. Comparable to Jim Fixx dying so young. Big news at the time years ago. Probably back in the 1980’s.
This isn’t exactly news.
This has been known, for a long long long time.
300 pounders don’t typically make it past a certain age... I.E. You don’t see a lot of overweight people in nursing homes, because they don’t make it to that age.
I do a three-day fast once a month. Frankly, I have to remind myself to eat by the end of it, I’m not even thinking about food.
I should elaborate however, that it’s something you do have to work up to. You have to go on a low-carb diet, and then gradually increase your daily fasting periods.
>> Which is why it’s better to do a low-carb diet, so that your body is fat-adapted. Your brain works better on Ketones. It’s very difficult to fast if you eat a lot of carbs.
OMG, you sound like my wife!!! You’re both probably right. Y’all shut up and leave me alone with my fried potatoes already. :-)
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