Persephone wrote:

>Grateful thanks, that was utterly inspiring :-) I had read about the
>life-prolonging effects of caloric restriction some years ago, but decided
>that it wasn't a route I wanted to follow as I have a horror of going below
>my ideal body weight. Until I read the studies you recommended, I had no
>idea that morbidity was reduced by such a significant amount (albeit in
>rodents) by this method as well.
>
>
>
Me too.


>If IF can achieve the same results without caloric restriction, it seems to
>be the ideal way of eating to maximise health, though it might be somewhat
>harder to stick to one feast every two days instead of once a day!
>
>
>
I don't know if the benefits can be achieved fasting during the day and
eating only at night but I assume there is great benefit to it. Insulin
is controlled and the body is in a catabolic state for many many hours
every day. Eating is the exception rather than the rule. I  may try to
eat every other day but I am not ready for that experiment just now.

>In the rat study it was rather alarming to read:
>
>"Blood pressure, heart rate and insulin levels similar to or greater than
>those obtained with regular physical exercise programs can be achieved by IF
>and by dietary supplementation with 2DG (a dietary supplement that inhibits
>glycolysis)  by a mechanism involving stress responses."
>
>
>


>The good news, of course, as you pointed out, was that:
>
>"quite large and sustained reductions in BP, HR, insulin, and glucose levels
>in animals maintained on an IF regimen improves insulin sensitivity."
>
>In total; dramatic increases in life span, lowered BP, HR, insulin and
>glucose levels, increased insulin sensitivity, neuronal protection against
>epilepsy, strokes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and decreased serum IGF-1
>leading to a reduced risk of cancer were all mentioned as effects of IF or
>caloric restriction.
>
>It was also interesting to note that the increased production of ketone
>bodies also had neuroprotective effects.
>
>Looking at the methods used to determine neuronal survival in the mice, it's
>not going to be possible to do human experiments on the effects of IF diets
>on neuronal degeneration etc. unless there is a less invasive way to measure
>such losses. Maybe there are imaging techniques that can do that, but until
>the studies are done, I imagine that people like us will be the pioneering
>lab rats, as usual ;-)
>
>
>
>
My understanding is that they are doing human studies at NIH. I forget
where I heard this but I don't doubt it. There are a lot of ways of
measuring mental capacity in humans though.

I think this is the new frontier -- frequency and intensity of eating
rather than just what you eat. I also think it is quite paleo to fast
during the day and eat at night.

It's a hard sell though -- I discuss this diet idea with people all the
time but nobody is very interested.

--Richard