What the Science Really Says About Diet and Longevity

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Can fasting really slow aging? Does calorie restriction work for humans, or just for mice and yeast? And how much protein do you actually need to age well?

This week on Your Diet Sucks, we break down the evidence behind the most talked-about interventions in the longevity space, what holds up under scrutiny, what doesn’t, and why you might not need a supplement stack to live longer, and enjoy life.

We dig into:

• The actual science on calorie restriction, fasting, and supplements—and where the evidence stops

• What inflammation, oxidative stress, and telomeres have to do with how we age

• The best-researched dietary patterns for living longer (hint: it’s not sexy, but it might include red wine)

• Why protein becomes more important as we age

• The difference between lifespan and healthspan, and why quality of life needs to be part of the conversation

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Eat food. Move often. Be skeptical of tech bros. Let’s go.

References

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    A 2-year randomized controlled trial of human caloric restriction: Feasibility and effects on predictors of health span and longevity. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 70(9), 1097–1104. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glv057

  • de Cabo, R., & Mattson, M. P. (2019).
    Effects of intermittent fasting on health, aging, and disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 381(26), 2541–2551. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1905136

  • Longo, V. D., & Panda, S. (2016).
    Fasting, circadian rhythms, and time-restricted feeding in healthy lifespan. Cell Metabolism, 23(6), 1048–1059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2016.06.001

  • Wilhelmi de Toledo, F., Grundler, F., Bergouignan, A., Drinda, S., & Michalsen, A. (2019).
    Safety, health improvement and well-being during a 4 to 21-day fasting period in an observational study including 1,422 subjects. PLOS ONE, 14(1), e0209353. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209353

  • Estruch, R., Ros, E., Salas-Salvadó, J., Covas, M. I., Corella, D., Arós, F., ... & Martínez-González, M. A. (2013).
    Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with a Mediterranean diet. New England Journal of Medicine, 368(14), 1279–1290. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1200303

  • Chrysohoou, C., Panagiotakos, D. B., Pitsavos, C., Das, U. N., & Stefanadis, C. (2004).
    Adherence to the Mediterranean diet attenuates inflammation and coagulation process in healthy adults. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 44(1), 152–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2004.03.039

  • Orlich, M. J., Singh, P. N., Sabaté, J., Jaceldo-Siegl, K., Fan, J., Knutsen, S., ... & Fraser, G. E. (2013).
    Vegetarian dietary patterns and mortality in Adventist Health Study 2. JAMA Internal Medicine, 173(13), 1230–1238. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6473

  • Levine, M. E., Suarez, J. A., Brandhorst, S., Balasubramanian, P., Cheng, C. W., Madia, F., ... & Longo, V. D. (2014).
    Low protein intake is associated with a major reduction in IGF-1, cancer, and overall mortality in the 65 and younger but not older population. Cell Metabolism, 19(3), 407–417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2014.02.006

  • Umberson, D., & Montez, J. K. (2010).
    Social relationships and health: A flashpoint for health policy. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51(1_suppl), S54–S66. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146510383501