The Longevity Diet - chapter 11
The Longevity Diet
A summary of Chapter 11
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FMD and Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases
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The Mediterranean diet Adhere to it strictly and it reduces your risk of disease.Read the book to learn about the diet. It's not endless pasta! |
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Autoimmune diseases But even a strict Mediterranean diet won't fully protect you from unnecessary inflammation and an autoimmune response.What you don't eat is as important as what you do eat.And a five-day fasting mimicking diet can be even more effective. |
Dear Peter
When reading this, remember…
FMD = ProLon
What is an autoimmune disease?
An autoimmune disease is when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body tissues. Common autoimmune diseases are:
- multiple sclerosis
- Chron's disease and colitis
- Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- type 1 diabetes
There are at least 80 more.
How can a fasting mimicking diet reduce autoimmunity?
Here are three examples…
Multiple sclerosis
In chapter 11 of The Longevity Diet Professor Valter Longo describes a classic study undertaken by his team.
FMD cycles reversed autoimmunity in the fasting mice with induced MS by
- destroying 'bad' immune cells
- generating new, healthy immune cells
- turning on progenitor cells to regenerate damaged nerves
And in humans?
A pilot week-long FMD trial was safe and potentially effective for MS patients. Larger clinical trials are underway.
Chron's disease and colitis
So far unpublished mice studies suggest the FMD is also effective for Chron's disease and colitis.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Two randomised clinical trials with humans suggest that extended fasting or low calorie restriction produce long term beneficial results.
Dr Longo suggests that if this approach is modified to cycles of FMD then the same results should apply, but with better nutrition to strengthen and support the patients.
Valter Longo's end-of-chapter summary
Prevention
- follow the Longevity Diet
- limit your salt intake
- eat more like what your healthy ancestors ate
Treatment
- follow the prevention advice above
- with your doctor's approval and under close supervision, and preferably as part of a clinical trial if possible (not available in Australia), alternate the Longevity Diet with a five-day ProLon fast each month.
Best wishes…
Peter Jerrim
LifeX Australia
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About the author Professor Valter Longo is the Edna M. Jones Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences and Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California – Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Los Angeles, one of the leading centres for research on ageing and age-related disease. Dr Longo is also the Director of the Longevity and Cancer Program at the IFOM Institute of Molecular Oncology in Milan, Italy. You're welcome to view Youtube videos featuring Dr Valter Longo on the science page of our website. |
