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Introduction
Current discussions relating to health focus on longevity. This may include some who look at lifespan extension, some who talk of delaying or “treating” ageing or those who focus on reducing morbidity within the parameters of normal lifespan.
One propsed intervention that has garnered a lot of excitement, owing to some interesting research, is the potential use of fasting to increase longevity and/or healthspan. Within this broad category, various different dietary interventions have been suggested, including various forms of intermittent fasting, time-restricted eating, dietary restriction of certain nutritients, calorie restriction or a “fasting-mimicking” diet.
But what does the current evidence tell us? Does the evidence actually match the hype? In this episode Dr. Niamh Aspell, Alan Flanagan and Danny Lennon discuss some of the data on fasting and longevity.
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- Sigma Statement: Can Fasting Increase Longevity?
- [01:36]Longevity key definitions – ageing/anti-ageing, lifespan/healthspan
- [15:32]Types of fasting regimens and mechanisms
- [28:42]The evidence we have – animal data trials
- [44:39]Human intervention trials
- [1:12:18]Trials related to the fasting mimicking diet – Valter Longo group/cancer treatment
- [1:20:13]Round up of thoughts
- [1:22:11]Key ideas
The Hosts
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Dr. Alan Flanagan has a PhD in nutrition from the University of Surrey, where his doctoral research focused on circadian rhythms, feeding, and chrononutrition.
This work was based on human intervention trials. He also has a Masters in Nutritional Medicine from the same institution.
Dr. Flanagan is a regular co-host of Sigma Nutrition Radio. He also produces written content for Sigma Nutrition, as part of his role as Research Communication Officer.
Danny Lennon has a master’s degree (MSc.) in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork, and he is the founder of Sigma Nutrition.
Danny is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sports Nutrition Association, the global regulatory body responsible for the standardisation of best practice in the sports nutrition profession.
Key Ideas
The key idea for this episode relates to reductionist thinking that comes from hyper-focusing on mechanisms and looking at them over-simplistically.
One of the best examples of this comes in discussions of fasting and “anti-ageing” where the process of autophagy is brought up.
Autophagy is a process within cells that removes damaged cell organelles and proteins, as well as eliminating pathogens in the cell. And so this adapative process does indeed play an important role in human health and biological function.
It has unfortunately become a buzzword used by those advocating for fasting protocols as a means to enhance longevity, decrease biological age or to “rejuvinate” the body in some manner.
The reductionist thinking goes along the lines of:
- Fasting = more autophagy
- Autophagy = good
- More fasting = more beneficial health
Clearly this over-simplfying a complex biological process.
