Want to lose belly fat, get smarter and also live longer? A set
of new studies finds that a periodic diet that mimics fasting
works in animal studies could help humans as well.
The University of Southern California team reports the diet
works in yeast and mice, and that a small pilot study showed it
also decreased in people risk factors that include aging, as
well as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
In the human study, 19 participants followed a complex,
customized diet, for five days each month that slashed their
caloric intake down to 34-54 percent of normal, with a specific
composition of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and
micronutrients.
The diet decreased amounts of the hormone IGF-I, which is a
promoter of aging and has been linked to cancer. The benefits
also persisted even after the study period was over, the
researchers said.
They are now testing the diet in a randomized clinical trial
with 70 people. If the results are confirmed, they to meet with
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officers to have it approved
for disease prevention and treatment. The researchers warn
against trying to copy the plan with a water-only fast or in
some other way, noting that fasting can be dangerous for some
people.