Humans have attempted to understand ageing and reverse its effects for thousands of years. In modern times, the study of ageing and attempts to reverse its effects have become more scientific and rigorous. The field of gerontology, which focuses on the study of ageing, emerged in the early 20th century, and scientists have made significant progress in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying ageing. Dr Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California and the director of the USC Longevity Institute, understands this all too well. In an interview with Dr Longo, he explains how he came to develop his fasting-mimicking diet, the material differences between this and other versions of fasting, and how the fasting-mimicking diet has had success or is showing promise in the treatment of cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. The possibilities are seemingly infinite. – Nadya Swart
See timestamped topics below:
- 00:00 Introduction of Dr Valter Longo
- 00:20 Dr Longo on what drew him to the study of longevity and ageing
- 01:22 On the development of the fasting-mimicking diet
- 05:08 On the fasting-mimicking diet and how it enables the human body to better defend itself against disease
- 09:15 On the evolutionary requirement for fasting and humans’ current evolutionary position
- 13:56 On the material differences between the fasting-mimicking diet and other versions of fasting
- 17:25 On those factors that influence the effects of fasting on different individuals
- 19:25 On the premise of his finding that in individuals under the age of 65, lower protein intake was associated with less risk of cancer
- 21:16 On his view regarding the debate between different types of diets
- 25:32 On the claim that the fasting-mimicking diet can assist with neuroinflammation and chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease
- 29:05 On whether his research has taken gut-related aspects into account
- 33:37 On his work having unlimited potential for human development
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