Go hungry if you want to live longer? American scientists found that eating only 70% full can start autophagy and live 28% longer

In 2018, a BBC documentary titled "Eating, Fasting and Longevity" showed people an experiment on restricted diets. It was found that those who fasted were much younger and healthier than those who were on a regular diet. Even at the height of the recession, people lived 6-year lifespans with no downtime.

After the film was broadcast, not only did a wave of "light fasting" blow up around the world, but a "fasting" study released in the same year as the documentary also confirmed once again that proper "starvation" may really prolong life .

01 Eat only 70% full, live 30 years longer?

"Light fasting" is also known as indirect fasting. In 2018, Dr. Rafael of the National Institutes of Health of the United States found in a mouse experiment that when the total calorie intake of food was the same, the experimental mice that only ate one meal a day were lighter in weight than control mice, and their cells were different. Item indicators are highly active. The researchers predicted an 11 percent increase in lifespan based on the state of their cells.

If the total calories of the experimental mice's food were reduced to 70% of the original, and kept eating once a day, the predicted life expectancy would be extended by 28%. Although the results of life extension are difficult to observe with the naked eye, because the results of this study are similar to the traditional Chinese food culture of "eating only 70% full", people gradually accepted the "light fasting" diet.

In 2020, scientists conducted a follow-up experiment on this study again, providing three groups of mice with ad libitum intake, calorie restriction and only one meal, respectively, and their liver metabolism was evaluated after 20 months of feeding. detailed analysis. The data showed that regardless of the dietary regimen, the other two groups of mice had significantly stronger cellular metabolism than the ad libitum group, and their life expectancy was similar to the previous experimental data.

Later, in order to further prove the relationship between "light fasting" and longevity, scientists conducted the same study in monkeys, and the results were roughly the same as those shown in experiments in mice. The researchers therefore believe that in humans, the reproducibility of this conclusion is also high.

02 Is light fasting the key to prolonging life or in mitochondria?

The significance of the research results makes "light fasting" gradually become a dietary method for more people. And about how it is related to anti-aging, some researchers have also conducted in-depth analysis. At present, the academic community has concluded that the key to the anti-aging mechanism of "light fasting" may lie in the cell factory - mitochondria.

In the body, mitochondria are not only responsible for most of the energy supply required for cell activities, but also participate in life processes such as cell differentiation and apoptosis. According to the "Time School", the first popular science team in the field of aging in China, affected by aging or unhealthy living habits, mitochondria may malfunction and further accelerate the aging process, which is also one of the signs of human aging.

Earlier, a Harvard genetics professor David Sinclair led a team to publish an article pointing out that Genad+ molecules involved in multiple energy conversion reactions in mitochondria can effectively inhibit aging. This research also brought him the name of "anti-aging godfather".

In addition to leading related experiments, David is also keen to share his "anti-aging experience" on social media, and fasting is one of his personal health care methods. He believes that light fasting can help promote autophagy of aging mitochondria and maintain cell vitality at a relatively stable level, thereby reducing the probability of mitochondrial dysfunction and further improving the quality of cell life.

Professor David often posted his daily recipes on his personal Twitter. Netizens found that in addition to strictly restricting his daily diet, he was also supplementing with a "Pavilo Pro" supplement to improve mitochondrial function. It seems that in order to prove his achievements in anti-aging, David disclosed to the Australian media that the biological age of his cells tested by the agency is only in his early 30s, but his actual age is over 50. In the report, the Australian reporter attributed his "youngness" to the "combination punch" of "light fasting" and supplement intake.

03 The "light fasting" method needs to start from its own situation

Under the influence of a series of scientific research results and celebrities, the concept of "mitochondrial anti-aging" and "light fasting" are gradually linked.

As an aid, after 2020, related health supplements will first become popular in Japan, where the aging problem is more serious, and many supplement brands have been born nowadays. According to relevant reports from Japanese media, the "Pavilo Pro" developed by the century-old company Miyoshino Pharmaceuticals is the first product to focus on and develop mitochondrial anti-aging.

It is worth noting that the supplement can only be purchased in China through cross-border e-commerce such as JD.com, and the price is relatively expensive, with a bottle selling for more than 2,000 yuan. For the public, this price is not friendly compared to the 100-yuan supplements at the 100-yuan price. The anti-aging results of David and others are not so easy to replicate.

In addition, some Chinese experts also pointed out that you don't need to be too concerned about the results of longevity, maintaining a healthy diet will reward you with a healthy body. "Light fasting" is a relatively scientific method of eating, but it cannot be blindly forbidden to eat or eat one meal a day as used in the experiments of foreign scientists. In addition, European and American food cultures are quite different from those in China. To adopt this dietary method, it is necessary to scientifically design recipes according to the physical conditions of Asians.