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Science

A Diet Based on Caloric Restriction Might Make You Live Longer. It'll Certainly Feel Like Longer. (technologyreview.com) 168

A diet based on caloric restriction might make you live longer. It'll certainly feel like longer. Called Prolon, it's a five-day, $250 meal kit which arrives in a white cardboard container a little bigger than a shoebox. It involves eating about 800 calories each day. The idea is that temporarily shifts your body into a starvation state, prompting your cells to consume years of accumulated cellular garbage before unleashing a surge of restorative regeneration. The idea that starving yourself while still taking in crucial nutrients will let you live longer is not new. The practice, called caloric restriction, is the only proven way to extend life in a wide variety of creatures. There are currently trials underway to see if the diet might help protect human patients from the ravages of chemotherapy, too. However, experiments have found that doing it for extended periods is a problem, and probably not practical for most people. Research on the "fast-mimicking diet" is still limited, but the Prolon diet has been sold in 15 countries and tried by more than 150,000 people. Read how Adam Piore got on when he tried it out.
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A Diet Based on Caloric Restriction Might Make You Live Longer. It'll Certainly Feel Like Longer.

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  • by That YouTube Guy ( 5905468 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2019 @02:55PM (#59106626)
    I spend less than that for an entire month of groceries.
    • by jm007 ( 746228 )
      big deal.... there's special dispensation given for ramen-eating college punks and/or basement dwellers
    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • TFA was published in MIT Technology Review. Slashdot might still have a few MIT eggheads around here. That makes it semi-legit on Slashdot.
    • Its the Porsche methodology. Their lighter and faster cars charge you more to remove items like the radio or door handles.

      • Sounds like the Apple methodology. Thinner is always better than thick. You don't need the headphone jack or physical function keys.
    • Heh. Nothing wrong with trying out these fad diets; many actually do work, depending on your metabolism and lifestyle. It's not a matter of find a diet that works, it's about finding one that works for you.

      But paying for meal kits of any kind is moronic, and paying for ones associated with a fad diet doubly so, because they usually are twice as expensive. Don't get processed foods with all manner of nasty additives, do some wholesome home cooking with fresh ingredients, and keep the portions small. Y
  • 800 kcal a day will kill you, that is below basal metabolism

    Over the decades a few infamous people have championed this, I can tell you some are dead and lived less than normal lifespan.... not surprising. How about take a page from those that lived the longest and eat healthily and do exercise (or work actively)? Worked for a lot of my relatives....

    since I sit on my butt pushing buttons for a living I do weights and bicycle. I eat real food not processed crap.

    • Over the decades a few infamous people have championed this, I can tell you some are dead and lived less than normal lifespan.... not surprising.

      That's because the people who bought into the idea eventually got so grumpy due to hunger that they killed them.

      • by TWX ( 665546 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2019 @03:44PM (#59106834)

        Hunger, like not-enough-food-in-the-digestive-tract hunger, or hunger as in caloric starvation while otherwise feeling gastrointestinally sated?

        There's a pretty big difference between the two, and that distinction is extremely important when it comes to mental health.

    • by Synonymous Cowered ( 6159202 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2019 @03:05PM (#59106684)

      800 kcal a day will kill you, that is below basal metabolism

      If only your body had a store of energy it could tap into to make up the difference.

    • by iCEBaLM ( 34905 )

      Depends on what those 800kcals are made of and why you're doing it. If you eat 800kcals of protein, enough to maintain your muscles then you're just going to burn fat for the extra energy and lose weight.

      • by Cid Highwind ( 9258 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2019 @04:53PM (#59107086) Homepage

        The 800 calories are mostly kale chips and fancy olives. The intent is not fat loss, it's protein autophagy, with the claim that your body will start with the mis-folded ones that give you cancer.

      • Eating that much protein will result in your body making glucose from the protein. That is why the keto diet limits both carbs and protein which is one of the reasons it is so difficult. It absolutely will result in rapid weight loss and from what anybody can tell thus far is healthy long term. Remains to be seen how it impacts the heart since you will have high cholesterol but the argument is that without an insulin response you don't need to worry about cholesterol because your body will consume it provid
    • Over the decades a few infamous people have championed this, I can tell you some are dead and lived less than normal lifespan.... not surprising

      It's a 5 day program, not decades of lifestyle.

    • I can't remember which one it was, but I listened to a podcast (Bill Nye maybe?) where they said the science these restriction longevity studies were based off of were mouse trials between calorie restricted mice, and calorie unrestricted mice. Unrestricted as it given as much food as they could cram in their gob. So it was kind of unsurprising that they were dying early, basically becoming fat slob mice.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    "The idea is that temporarily shifts your body into a starvation state, prompting your cells to consume years of accumulated cellular garbage before unleashing a surge of restorative regeneration."

    The idea is horse shit. That's not the way your body works.

    • by Falos ( 2905315 )

      That was the best part. A talk about the findings in restriction experiments might merit discussion, but I'm hearing "product reviewmertisement".

      "surge of restorative regeneration" is how you hawk snake oil.

    • by HiThere ( 15173 )

      Well, I don't think it's been proven for primates, but it works with mice and rats.

      OTOH, I really doubt that even if it works the same number of calories works for every person. And I also have doubts that we know, even yet, all the necessary nutrients. Or even that they include all known requirements. E.g., if they're shipping a small box, then I really doubt that they include appropriate amounts of fiber, which is known to be preventative of colon cancer. (N.B.: preventative is not "it will keep it f

      • Different fibers act differently in the intestines, and I don't think anyone knows the whole details, but soluble fibers need to be balanced against insoluble fibers, or you're likely to get tremendous constipation. (At least if the soluble fiber is based on oat bran.)

  • by Tom Arneberg ( 93330 ) <toma@arneberg.com> on Tuesday August 20, 2019 @03:03PM (#59106672)
    Any weight-loss article on Slashdot should refer to "The Hacker's Diet," a free online book by John Walker, founder of Autocad software. (After reading this book in 2013, I lost 40 pounds and have kept it off for six years now.) It is weight loss with an engineering/management approach: http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdi... [fourmilab.ch]
  • by BenJeremy ( 181303 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2019 @03:04PM (#59106678)

    It's called "eat less and do more" and costs nothing extra. In fact, I'm saving a bundle on food expenses packing a single peanut butter and butter sandwich for lunch every day.

    Do I still get hungry, yes, sure... but I can snack on something relatively healthy and in less quantities. I walk more.

    Results? I've lost over 35lbs in 3 months or so, with another 40lbs to go on my ultimate goal. At my age, weight loss is more difficult, and exercise is impractical (running puts too much stress on knees, particularly with 40lbs more weight than I should have).

    No fad diets, no running 10 miles a day; just eat smaller portions, cut back on sweets, eliminate sugary sodas.

    • by pz ( 113803 )

      15 minutes of exercise on an elliptical trainer each day is a great supplement to being more selective about what you eat. It takes 15 minutes (that part should be self-explanatory), and an elliptical trainer (you can get them on Craigslist for $100, or buy a new cheap one for $250). You can listen to music, watch a video, whatever floats your boat --- I enjoy reading P.G. Wodehouse's books which are entertaining and have the advantage that if you lose your place, or skip a sentence or paragraph, no big de

    • by chill ( 34294 )

      Actually, there is more to it than that.

      In a study on mice and another study on human pancreatic cells, researchers discover that a scientifically designed fasting diet can trigger the generation of new pancreatic cells to replace dysfunctional ones and stabilize blood glucose.

      https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170223124259.htm [sciencedaily.com]

      Fasting mimicking diets have the potential to "reset" some body functions and actually allow your body to cure diseases that otherwise it doesn't get the chance to.

      The founder of sponsor on this, Prolon, was a researcher on a similar study. https://l-nutra.com/blogs/l-nutra-news/usc-publishes-results-of-a-fasting-mimicking-diet-that-may-reverse-diabetes [l-nutra.com]

    • I lost 40 pounds last year (245 to 205) and felt a lot better just cutting out sweet foods and cutting carbs down to a reasonable level. I probably consumed less calories as a result, but I wasn't targeting calories. I gained about half of the weight I lost back this year (225) because I haven't been as good about it (cake and ice cream are two of my favorite things and cutting them out was the worst).

      The core problem we have in the US is a macronutrient imbalance (macronutrients are the three main nutri
      • This is also ignoring exercise. The problem with exercise for me is that it almost always feels like a chore to me,

        It will be, because you are horribly unfit. Until you get fitter it will be an uphill and unpleasant journey. But start slow, work your way up. A lot of the problem is that people set themselves unrealistic goals. Seriously, start slow. You are going to hurt, you will skip some sessions, don't try to "make them up" because that will just make you hurt more. Just carry on, try not to miss

    • The best part is that you'll save a ton on lunch costs. If you still want to dine with coworkers at lunch for social reasons, do it on one specific day and make it a special thing.

      Other keys: 1) Don't eat the office leftover sweets from the office party (they usually aren't that good, anyways). 2) Don't get a 500+ calorie Starbucks coffee. Keep it as black/plain as possible. (Or don't at all.) 3) Get a better job if you're bored all the time. A good job will keep you too busy and focused to eat snacks.

      Doing

    • by BenBoy ( 615230 )
      First off, congratulations!

      I really do think that cutting out sweets and refined carbs is what's doing the trick for me lately (though, being a poor excuse for a scientist, I changed more than one factor at once).

    • >"No fad diets, no running 10 miles a day; just eat smaller portions, cut back on sweets, eliminate sugary sodas."

      I have been telling people this for many years. You don't need a special diet. You can eat most anything you want and lose or maintain weight.... as long as you are not consuming more calories than you need. And most people eat FAR more calories than needed.

      Sure, it makes since to eat BETTER calories, and avoid simple starches and sugars. But in the end, it really is mostly calories in vs

    • This, and we all know it.
      Eating less and moving more.
      with emphasis on eating less.

      It's just a matter of implementation.

    • It's called "eat less and do more"

      You're confusing this with a weight loss diet. Not the same thing.

  • My experiences were remarkably similar to the narrative in the article. Starving yourself is really hard. Paradoxically, after a few days, you will feel more energetic. Will it make me live longer? Maybe, but I won't know for a long while.
    • Decaffeinated coffee isn't really caffeine-free. Had a cup on the second day and I was flying. Presumably anything you take during that fasting period will have enhanced effects.
    • Search 'Fasting Mimicking Diet' for a variety of descriptions of how to construct the diet without spending $250 on Prolon.
      • by I4ko ( 695382 )

        The science is solid. It was research at UCSD and is public. You can find the publications on the UCSD web site and see what is in the diet itself. The groceries for the entire week cost about $30. They are selling it $250 and they are insane. If it was something like $80 to cover the convenience and shipping, I would understand, but a $250?

        The marketing droid in the company compare the price of what they offer to a price of a week of meals, and say their's is cheaper, but they are idiots and intentionally

  • " He took the form of a thin businessman man with black hair named Raven Sable. He created nouvelle (which consisted of a string bean, a couple of peas and a paper-thin slice of chicken), D-Plan dieting and various foods that contained no actual nutrition whatsoever. "

  • This almost looks like a slashvertisment.
  • by gosand ( 234100 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2019 @03:33PM (#59106790)

    In this day and age, all the information you need is out there. Stop looking for magic - look to science.
    We didn't survive as human beings by being vegan, or by eating massive amounts of carbs and sugar. Eat a diet based on good fat, animals and plants. Move your body, but you don't have to kill yourself in the process. Learn how to get into ketosis, where your body burns ketones instead of glucose.

    Once you get your diet reset, you can do things like skip breakfast without issue. I actually rarely eat breakfast. Do you know why breakfast is the "most important meal of the day"? Because a cereal company started that idea as a sales and marketing campaign. Now even your damn doctor will tell you that, with no science to back it up. You can also fast easily for 24 hours, and feel great. I do it 5 or 6 times a year. I haven't gone much longer, but have no doubts that I can. There are plenty of people who do 3 to 7 day fasts. There is emerging data that shows it is good for you in a lot of ways. And it's free.

    I am coming up on my 7th year on a grain-free, high fat, low sugar diet. I am almost 50 and feel great.

    But don't believe me, go out there and read/watch/listen...
    Good Calories Bad Calories, The Primal Blueprint, Grain Brain, The Case Against Sugar, and if you really want to nerd out and get deep on things, look up videos/articles/podcast by Dr Peter Attia.

    • On day 2 of a 72 hour fast today. I've been OMADing it for a while, but I'm amping it up to get the last 20 pounds off.
      Fasting on a carnivorous diet is pretty easy.

  • He had patiently explained how the diet would temporarily shift my body into a starvation state that would prompt my cells to consume years of accumulated cellular garbage before unleashing a surge of restorative regeneration.

    SMDH [I'm a geriatric medicine specialist. I trained in one of the world's leading biology-of-aging research departments.] While caloric restriction is a firmly-established method of increasing maximum life span in mice (which live 24 months), there is no data in humans to justify t

    • There is plenty of clinical data on fasting for improvement of gut and metabolic heath, along with promoting autophagy.

      Whether this translates to a longer life remains an open question until someone takes measurements for a few decades, but however long you live, living your life without diabetes sounds like a win.

      • Re:snake oil (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Gilgaron ( 575091 ) on Tuesday August 20, 2019 @04:33PM (#59107022)
        Having good correlative data on fasting having benefits is different than the idea that it gets your body to eat cellular debris and unleash a wave of nonsense throughout your body.
        • Yes, I believe the term you are looking for is 'advertising'

          Unless you think that drinking diet coke does cause you to party with tons of fun you women, or was it using brand-whatever deodorant? I forget.

          The fact that they wrap their over priced product in a layer of BS to make it sell doesnt mean there is no benefit behind the concept.

        • >Having good correlative data on fasting having benefits is different than the idea that it gets your body to eat cellular debris and unleash a wave of nonsense throughout your body.

          Who's suggesting correlative data? The chemical pathways for autophagy have been identified and got some guy a Nobel prize.

  • . . . so little science.

    Isn't is nice that people have feelings, that they have opinions, that they have enough ego to think that their opinion is the true and correct opinion? Isn't it nice that they proudly share their dietary choices and accomplishments so that we all know how clever they are?

    Dietary restriction for health is not news. It's been around all this century and beyond. Scientists working with lab animals inevitably noticed that animals on restricted diets were often healthier and lived longe

    • It's an article about caloric restriction. The bit about the author dieting is just garnish (or shilling), doesn't change the fact that it's still an interesting article about caloric restriction.
  • For $0 you can practice conventional fasting and achieve the same or better benefits compared to calorie restriction.

    For a low price of $100, I will send you a personalized recipe suggestion for every day of your fast.
    We support fasts from 1 day through to 5.

  • Similar to the "5-2" diet that has been around for quite a while now - proven to work.

    With the 5-2 you eat "normally" for 5 days a week then for 2 eat restricted calories.
    Originally this was 600 calories (which I still keep at or near to) but apparently 800 will do.

    So far I've lost and kept off ~ 35lbs and my wife ~ 84lbs so works well for us but may not suit others (just realised - that is a whole small person lost between us!)

    Thing is - it's a change to lifestyle. not something you do for 3 months then go

  • As in the topic, though as others pointed out smells like an ad, the title is still worth it.
  • Is Slashdot putting paid segments up now?
  • There is just a little bit of conflicting evidence. It either boosts the immune system or weakens it. Good for you, or screws you over. Weakens bones? Reduces muscle, hence screwing over your metabolism long term? Fights cancer? What the hell do we believe? Increases long life / reduces long life?

    http://healthland.time.com/201... [time.com]

    https://www.theguardian.com/sc... [theguardian.com]

    https://consumer.healthday.com... [healthday.com]

    https://www.webmd.com/diet/fea... [webmd.com]

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/r... [sciencedaily.com]

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p... [nih.gov]

    http://healthlan [time.com]

  • Eat real food.

    A wide variety.

    Not too much.

  • I asked my doctor if Iâ(TM)d live longer abstaining from beef, cigars, and whiskey. He said itâ(TM)d only seem like it.

  • That a perpetual healthy but lean diet of any sorts lets you live longer is pretty much established but countless studies with animals and humans. Add in regular exercise and regular cardio load and perhaps these new medications and supplements and you even can reverse the effects of aging in body and brain.

    I recommend for reading "The longevity diet", "The four hour body" and for viewing a recent 3 hour interview with Joe Rogan and that "anti age" research guy - dunno his name, Google it.

    My 2 cents.

All seems condemned in the long run to approximate a state akin to Gaussian noise. -- James Martin

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