Thread by @ReformedTrader

1/ Longevity Diet: The Science Behind Stem Cell Activation and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease, and Optimize Weight (Valter Longo)

"Revolutionary discoveries first appear crazy but undergo a grueling process that makes them repeatable." (p. 13)

amazon.com/Longevity-Diet…

2/ "Professional guidelines, fear of legal action, heavy caseloads, and the complexity of illness work to keep doctors narrowly focused on standard-of-care treatments. Often, patients aren’t given integrative options even if they ask." (p. xv)

3/ "After one year, I made two important discoveries:

"1. Yeast starved of nutrients lived twice as long.

"2. Sugar is one of the ingredients responsible for aging. It activates genes that accelerate aging and inactivates factors and enzymes that protect against oxidation.

4/ "This was so simple and so new that the scientific community was in disbelief and struggled to understand, let alone accept, the chronological aging system and the discovery of the pro-aging sugar pathway.

5/ "Leading journals refused to publish the findings my mentors & I found so extraordinary, so I used the discoveries as the basis for my doctoral thesis, as well as two other publications, which were also ignored for several years." (p. 26)

More on this:

https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1331998734276653059

6/ "It would take another six years to get published. Eight more years passed before other labs confirmed these results in mice and another ten years before my lab provided initial evidence that similar genes and pathways may protect humans against age-related diseases." (p. 28)

7/ "If aging is the risk factor for most diseases, it’s smarter to intervene on aging itself.

"Success against one disease may be accompanied by an increased incidence of another. Curing cancer or cardiac disease today would increase the average lifespan by only 3 years." (p.32)

8/ "Based on the study of the biology of aging, preventive medicine, and longevity research, we now know that the later years of life, even when life is extended, need not be associated with poor health and disease." (p. 37)

9/ "Among the longevity factors within your control, what you eat is the primary choice that affects whether you live to 60, 80, 100, or 110—and whether you get there in good health.

"It may be more beneficial than drug therapies when you factor in both efficacy & side effects.

10/ "Historically, religious fasting was not adopted to prevent or treat disease, but since it was common for our ancestors and has now been tested on thousands of people, we know it to be generally feasible and safe." (p. 40)

11/ "While one nutrient may be protective against one condition or disease, it can negatively affect another, or it can protect middle-age individuals but hurt the very young or the elderly.

12/ "In adults age ≤70, eating a high-calorie diet tends to lead to weight gain and an increase in risk for certain diseases. Yet in individuals >70, the same diet and consequent moderate weight gain can be protective against certain diseases and overall mortality." (p. 42)

13/ "Populations with record longevity do not eat a high-protein, high-saturated-fat, low-carb diet. Clinical & epidemiological studies supporting its benefits are very few. In lab studies, both high protein & high saturated fat intake are associated with aging & disease." (p.47)

14/ "Several recent articles indicate that supplements with excess vitamins/minerals are ineffective in preventing major diseases & delaying mortality.

"One possible exception: a large, randomized, controlled trial reported a minor reduction in cancer and cataracts." (p. 53)

15/ "People assume anything they want will make them happier, but that’s an illusion. Daniel Gilbert compares the happiness of two groups of people: one group had won the lottery; the other was made up of people who had become paraplegic.

16/ "A year after the life-changing events occurred, both groups were equally happy. In the same way, one’s happiness may be largely independent of diet." (p. 56)

17/ "Aim for a diet close to 100% plant- and fish-based, limiting fish to two or three portions a week and avoiding fish with high mercury content (tuna, swordfish, mackerel, halibut).

18/ "If you are past age 65 and start to lose muscle mass/strength/weight, introduce more fish along with other animal-based foods commonly consumed by populations with record longevity, like eggs and certain cheeses (preferably feta or pecorino) and goat’s milk yogurt." (p. 59)

19/ "The diet should be free of animal proteins (red meat, white meat, cheese) with the exception of proteins from fish and relatively high in vegetable proteins (legumes, nuts, etc.) to minimize the former’s negative effects and maximize the latter’s nourishing effects." (p. 59)

20/ "Your diet should be rich in good unsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, salmon, almonds, and walnuts, but as low as possible in saturated, hydrogenated, and trans fats.

21/ "It should be rich in complex carbohydrates, such as those provided by whole bread, legumes, and vegetables, but low in sugars and limited in pasta, rice, bread, fruit, and fruit juices, which are easily converted into sugars by the time they reach the intestine." (p. 57)

22/ "Unless your waist circumference and body weight are normal or low, eat breakfast and one major meal plus a nourishing low-calorie, low-sugar snack daily. If your weight or muscle mass is too low or if it’s dropping against your will, eat three meals a day plus a snack.

23/ "It is harder to overeat with only two and a half meals a day.

"Do not skip breakfast, as this has been associated with increased risk for age-related diseases in multiple studies.

"Many centenarian groups practice confine all meals and snacks to twelve hours or less a day.

24/ "A shorter eating window (ten hours or less) can be even more effective for weight loss, but it is much harder to maintain and may increase the risk of side effects, such as gallstones and cardiovascular disease. You should also not eat within 3-4 hours of going to sleep.

25/ "People under age sixty-five who are neither frail nor malnourished and are free of major diseases should undergo two periods of five days a year in which they consume a relatively high-calorie fasting-mimicking diet, or FMD." (p. 62)

26/ "Amino acids accelerate aging in most organisms. Both IGF-1 and TOR-S6K are increased or activated by protein intake and are central promoters of aging and age-related diseases in mice.

"Lowering protein intake in mice reduces the incidence of melanoma and breast cancer.

27/ "Data also supports the benefits of time-restricted feeing & periodic prolonged fasting.

"High sugar levels make heart cells and mice more sensitive to damage and death during chemotherapy, confirming our hypothesis that sugar makes cells more vulnerable to damage." (p. 66)

28/ "Most large-population studies show an association between longevity & disease prevention, and a diet that is low in protein; plant- and fish-based; & rich in complex carbohydrates, olive oil, and nuts.

"The benefits of a low-protein diet seem to apply only before age 65.

29/ "A low-carb diet high in animal fat & protein is associated w/ cancer & CV mortality.

"Consumption of high levels of animal but not plant-based proteins is associated w/ CV mortality.

"A low-carb, high-animal-protein diet is associated w/ a 2x increase in diabetes." (p. 66)

21/ "Periodic use of a low-protein, plant-based diet can reduce markers for aging and diseases in subjects ages 20-70.

"A research group in Spain randomized people at risk for cardiovascular diseases to either a “healthy low-fat diet” or a diet rich in olive oil or nuts.

22/ "A Mediterranean diet with high levels of olive oil or 30 g/day of walnuts/hazelnuts/almonds was associated with reduced CV events & mortality.

"The protective role of nuts is supported by an analysis of many studies investigating the prevention of multiple diseases." (p.68)

23/ "Areas of the world with the highest prevalence of centenarians—Okinawa, Loma Linda, small towns in Calabria and Sardinia and in Costa Rica and Greece—all share diets that are (1) mostly plant-based with lots of nuts and some fish;

24/ "(2) low in proteins, sugars, & saturated/trans fats; and (3) high in complex carbohydrates coming from beans & other plant-based foods. Most of the centenarians ate only 2-3x times a day, ate light meals in the evening, & were, in many cases, done eating before dark." (p.71)

25/ "Low protein intake is (not) associated with longevity/cancer reduction in people younger (older) than 65.

"Hormones that contribute to aging can reach low levels after 80.

"Low protein may risk frailty & defects in the immune system & wound healing in later life." (p. 78)

26/ "Exceeding a daily protein intake of 0.33 grams per pound of body weight does not increase muscle growth.

"Consuming 30 grams of protein in a single low-carbohydrate or very low-carbohydrate meal optimizes muscle synthesis.

27/ "For best results, the protein should be consumed one to two hours after resistance training, such as weights or push-ups. In both young and older individuals, ideal muscle synthesis occurred when the weight being lifted or pushed was 60-75% of one’s maximum capacity." (p.94)

28/ "If we consider fasting as the period necessary to switch from a sugar-burning mode to a fat-burning mode, only periods of abstention from food lasting 2-3 days or more can be considered fasting. The same length appears to be necessary to trigger “regenerative” programs.

29/ "Three months after the last ProLon FMD cycle, test subjects still benefited from loss of body fat & reductions in waist circumference, glucose levels, IGF-1, & blood pressure.

"The use of FMD every 3 months may be sufficient to reduce risk of a number of diseases." (p. 101)

30/ "Both in humans and mice, we detected a transient elevation of circulating stem cells in the blood during FMD, which may be responsible for the regeneration and rejuvenation occurring in multiple systems.

31/ "Streamlined cells, systems, & organs can be rebuilt by activating stem or progenitor cells and activating repair & replacement systems when the body resumes normal feeding.

"An analysis of 11 randomized studies found that taking statins does not change one’s risk of dying.

32/ "The same is true for the great majority of drugs, whether they target glucose, cholesterol, or blood pressure: they don’t fix the problem; they merely limit damage. Sometimes they save or prolong lives, but often, they are a partial solution creating new problems." (p. 104)

33/ What follows is a simplified version of the FMD tested in our clinical study of 100 patients & now recommended to patients by U.S. & U.K. doctors. [See p. 110.]

"At least 10,000 patients have undergone ProLon FMD therapy, & there have been no reports of major side effects."

34/ "Cancer cells divide too often, regardless of the signals they receive to stop dividing.

Oncogenes make cells weaker and more vulnerable to the damage caused by toxins. These same oncogenes give cells a key characteristic: the ability to disobey orders and continue growing.

35/ "Virtually all the fasting mice were alive and moving normally after high-dose chemotherapy. Mice on a normal diet were sick and moving very little after chemotherapy. In the following weeks, 65% of the mice that did not fast died, whereas nearly all the fasted mice survived.

36/ "We reproduced this effect using a wide variety of chemotherapy drugs. Starvation consistently caused protection against many different toxins in normal cells but not cancer cells.

"To stay alive, cancer cells require a lot of nourishment." (p. 117)

37/ "Mutations in the DNA sequence of cancer cells may increase their ability to grow, but those same mutations greatly impede the cancer cell’s ability to survive in challenging environments (for example, under the double onslaught of starvation and chemotherapy)." (p. 124)

38/ "FMD performs two main functions: (1) it weakens cancer cells and removes the protective shield safeguarding them from immune cells; and (2) it renews and revs the immune system, making it more aggressive toward cancer.

39/ "High glucose levels in combination with chemotherapy in patients are associated with an increased risk of developing infections and with higher death rates when compared with patients with normal blood glucose." (p. 124)

40/ "Three completed small clinical trials and one case series report involving seventy-five patients provide initial evidence that fasting and FMD are safe and potentially effective in protecting patients from multiple side effects of chemotherapy.

41/ "Ongoing clinical trials on Chemolieve at leading cancer centers, which have now tested over two hundred patients, provide additional evidence for the safety and potentially protective effect of the FMD against chemotherapy side effects." (p. 130)

42/ "One study following 40,000 men for up to twenty years showed a 2x increased risk for diabetes associated with a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet.

"High protein intake may increase the activity of IGF-1, associated at high levels with multiple diseases." (p. 144)

43/ "Mice that undergo two cycles of the FMD a month, while eating the same total calories per month as mice on the regular diet, continue to lose weight, which suggests the fat-burning mode continues even after resuming a normal diet." (p. 150)

44/ "If your doctor resists dietary interventions, look for a doctor specialized in integrative medicine or contact L-Nutra and ask for a specialized doctor in their network.

"Doctors should prioritize therapies aimed at cures, not just those that slow progression." (p. 156)

45/ "Studies of centenarians show that extreme longevity has little to do with the Mediterranean diet per se. It is instead associated with specific ingredients & how heavily they are featured in diets common to the Mediterranean, Okinawa, Loma Linda, & Costa Rica." (p. 163)

46/ "Notably, intake of saturated fats from fish & plant-based sources was associated with reduced CV disease & death.

"Those on a low-carbohydrate, mostly animal-based, high-protein diet were twice as likely to die of any cause and had a 40% higher risk of dying of CV disease.

47/ "When the diet was vegetable-based but still low in carbohydrates, it was no longer associated with higher cardiovascular disease. In fact, it appeared to reduce diseases further.

48/ "Another study following a large group of middle-aged men indicated that high intake of proteins from animal-based sources increased the rates of stroke and ischemic heart disease, whereas a higher plant-based protein intake was protective.

49/ "people with high vegetable-based protein intake normally have lower or much lower overall protein intake, suggesting that the lower incidence of disease may be caused by both the beneficial effects of plant-based food and the lower overall protein intake.

50/ "Another study evaluating 2,210 cases of nonfatal infarcts and 952 deaths from heart disease also concluded that a high intake of red meat and fat correlates with an elevated risk of heart disease in women, whereas intake of nuts and beans reduces the risk." (p. 165)

51/ "Calorie restriction reduces inflammation & additional markers associated with CV diseases.

"However, prolonged restriction produces both benefits & problems.

"Approaching an emaciated state can have consequences on wound healing & the ability to fight infections." (p.167)

52/ "Fish, olive oil, and nuts in some combination is common among record-longevity populations, including Seventh-day Adventists (though most don’t eat fish), Greeks of Ikaria, Italians of Calabria and Sardinia, and Okinawans (though they don’t consume much olive oil)." (p. 168)

53/ "An everyday diet that has been shown to be protective against cognitive decline is the Mediterranean diet in combination with high levels of olive oil (or nuts)." (p. 181)

54/ "Coconut oil contains high levels of saturated fat. But unlike other dietary saturated fats, which are composed mainly of long-chain fatty acids (fats with 13 to 21 carbons in the chain), coconut oil contains a high level of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA).

55/ "MCFA are easily converted to ketone bodies. The brain begins to utilize ketones for energy during prolonged fasting and when glucose is scarce. In a study of patients with Alzheimer’s, consuming 40 mL/day of extra virgin coconut oil resulted in improved cognitive status.

56/ "This finding is consistent with other studies suggesting medium-chain fatty acids protect against dementia." (p. 185)

57/ "A review of all the studies on exercise and dementia, covering 800 patients and 18 randomized clinical trials, concluded that physical activity—particularly aerobic exercise, such as running and swimming—improves cognitive function in patients with dementia." (p. 189)

58/ "Another way to ward off AD and other dementias is to maintain brain activity. Reading, solving puzzles, and playing computer games have all been shown to improve cognition and help prevent or delay dementias." (p. 191)

59/ "As we get older, and also in association with disease, production of immune cells and inflammatory factors can become dysregulated. Inflammation can be activated even when it is not needed. This can result in a low-level systemic inflammation involving the entire body.

60/ "In some cases, this inflammation is followed by the development of a strong immunity against normal cells or molecules within cells, resulting in a self-recognition, in which the immune system attacks parts of its own body." (p. 194)

61/ "Because fat cells can be an important source of inflammatory molecules like TNF alpha and IL-6, the connection between obesity & autoimmune disorders could be related to abdominal fat.

"Diet can also affect the immune system by altering gut bacteria." (p. 195)

62/ "Find out where your great-grandparents came from and what foods were common in those places.

"The hypothesis is that small towns will be able to detect dis/advantages associated with particular foods by observing their effect over decades and by learning from relatives.

63/ "Much of the information will end up being correct. Some of it will be incorrect, but the risk of adopting this strategy is virtually zero—the food that was common and safe at the table of your ancestors is very unlikely to be harmful to you." (p. 199)

64/ "For example, quinoa was shown to increase the immune response in mice, which may be evidence of its potential to cause autoimmune diseases in humans, and it was shown to cause severe allergic reactions in multiple patients in the United States and France." (p. 199)

65/ "Fasting causes a major drop in the number of circulating white blood cells in mice, followed by a return to normal levels after they resume a normal diet.

66/ "During fasting, long-term hematopoietic stem cells are turned on and expanded. This type of stem cell, found in the blood, is capable of generating the various cells of the immune system." (p. 202)

67/ "FMD cycles reversed the autoimmunity in a subset of mice by (1) killing off bad immune cells, (2) generating new and healthy ones, and (3) turning on progenitor cells (cells similar to stem cells), which can regenerate damaged nerves.

68/ "FMD kills many cells, but it is particularly effective in killing off old and damaged immune cells that have lost the ability to distinguish between the cells of its own body and invading organisms. Fasting increases stem cells but reduces immune cells." (p. 202)

69/ "Consume approximately 0.31 to 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.

"Protein intake should be raised slightly after age sixty-five to seventy in individuals who are losing weight and muscle." (p. 214)

70/ "The following two-week meal plan is based on the Longevity Diet. These recipes reflect the types of ingredients and combinations most beneficial to your health. Feel free to substitute ingredients with a similar nutrient composition."

[The meal plan begins on page 219.]

71/ Counterpoint:

Two Meals a Day

https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1408960142020734977

Big Fat Surprise

https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1402649982902030337

Related reading:

Science Fictions

https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1336398442403307521

Ageless

https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1389986817521373188

Lifespan

https://twitter.com/ReformedTrader/status/1382766571957882881